Maghreb Edition

Western Sahara: Violence erupts in Western Sahara as drone hits pro-independence militantsF

Posted On 2 September 2023

Number of times this article was read : 1869

A Polisario Front commander and three Sahrawi fighters were killed Friday in the disputed Western Sahara as a United States delegation visited the region, the official Saharawi news agency SPS reported. The Western Sahara dispute dates back to 1975, when colonial ruler Spain withdrew from the territory, sparking a 15-year war between Morocco and the Polisario which seeks the territory’s independence.

“The head of the sixth military region, Abba Ali Hamudi, member of the Polisario national secretariat, fell on the field of honour with three other fighters,” announced the Polisario agency. The Sahrawi presidency has declared three days of national mourning starting Saturday.

According to the Saharan information site Ecsaharaui, “following fighting in the Mahbes region, the Moroccan air force responded using two Israeli-made drones”. No confirmation could be obtained from the Moroccan side.

A delegation from the United States, led by Joshua Harris, Assistant Secretary of State for North Africa, began a visit to Sahrawi territory on Friday, as part of efforts to relaunch the UN-sponsored peace process in Western Sahara, according to SPS.

In April 2021, another Sahrawi military leader, the commander of the gendarmerie Addah Al-Bendir, was killed by a drone in Tifariti, a northern region under Polisario control. Rabat controls nearly 80 percent of Western Sahara and sees the entire region, home to abundant phosphates and fisheries, as its sovereign territory.

The Polisario continue to demand a UN-supervised self-determination referendum, which was agreed in a 1991 ceasefire accord but has still not taken place. After nearly 30 years of ceasefire, the truce broke down in  November 2020.

Morocco sent troops to the far south of the Western Sahara to disperse Sahrawi protesters blocking the sole highway to Mauritania and the rest of Africa, which the Polisario says was built after 1991 in violation of the agreement. For almost three years, the Sahrawis have reported frequent clashes, often announcing that they have inflicted losses on the Moroccan side, which are never confirmed by Rabat. Western Sahara is a vast desert territory bordering the Atlantic, with fish-rich waters and significant phosphate reserves.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Gulf War Escalates as Energy Markets Reel and Regional Fronts Multiply$

The war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States is expanding across the Middle East, with growing consequences for global energy markets and regional security. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure have pushed oil prices higher and raised concerns about supply stability. As missile exchanges intensify and fighting spreads to Lebanon, world leaders are scrambling to assess the economic fallout and prevent further escalation.

West Africa: Jihadist Attacks Intensify in Northern Benin Amid Cross-Border Insurgency Pressure$

Jihadist attacks in northern Benin have intensified in recent weeks, with militants linked to JNIM claiming a deadly assault on a military position near the Niger border and carrying out additional raids on security posts along the country’s volatile frontiers with Burkina Faso and Nigeria. The violence underscores how northern Benin has become part of a wider cross-border insurgency spilling south from the central Sahel, even as authorities bolster Operation Mirador and try to prevent armed groups from entrenching themselves on Beninese soil.

Desert Locusts Stir Fresh Worries in North-West Africa$

Small desert locust swarms recently detected along the western Sahara corridor have prompted stepped-up monitoring across parts of North and West Africa, where shifting rainfall can quickly turn quiet desert areas into launchpads for wider infestations.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.