Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية (Arabic ) al - al - ʿ Dschumhūriyya arabiyya as- sahrāwiyya ad dīmuqrātiyya ( transkrib. ) Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR, also Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic called; Spanish: República Democrática Árabe Sahrawi ) was proclaimed in the course of the Western Sahara conflict in 1976 by the Polisario Front.

Basic

The DARS claimed the entire territory of Western Sahara, which is largely controlled since the withdrawal of Spain in 1975 by Morocco. Morocco considers the whole of Western Sahara as part of its territory. As El Aaiun, provided for in the provisional constitution capital of DARS, is in the Moroccan -controlled part of the country, Bir Lehlu serves in the North -East of the Western Sahara as a provisional capital, the seat of government is located in Tindouf (Algeria).

The future of Western Sahara depends, as proposed by the UN on a referendum, no consensus on its holding so far could be achieved. Main point of contention here is the question of whether this referendum, the members of Sahrawi tribes who lived in colonial times in southern Morocco (or their descendants) should be considered as eligible to vote locals ( this would correspond to Morocco's position).

Geography

The DARS claimed the entire territory of Western Sahara. At present, the Government of the DARS exerts only over about one third of the territory of Western Sahara, as well as four refugee camps ( named after cities in the Western Sahara: El Aaiun, Smara, Ausert, Ad Dakhla ) near the Algerian town of Tindouf, the control of. The sparsely populated, mainly consisting of desert Sahrawi territory that is administered by the Government of the SADR is separated by a built by Morocco 2700 km long, mined sand wall from the Moroccan -administered Western Sahara.

History

On 27 February 1976, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed on the territory of Western Sahara in Bir Lehlu by the Polisario Front.

Morocco did not recognize the SADR and annexed in 1976 the northern two-thirds of the Western Sahara territory, while Mauritania claimed the southern third. After 1979 Mauritania withdrew from Western Sahara, Morocco declared the annexation of the southern third.

1991, a ceasefire agreement between Morocco and the Polisario was closed, but up until now about 100,000 people living in four refugee camps near the town of Tindouf in the Algerian Sahara. ( To name this refugee camp see above. )

Policy

The final status of the divided Western Sahara is still unclear, since an agreement between the parties has not yet been achieved and the referendum was postponed several times. Morocco rejects now the plan to hold a referendum have failed and tries to provide an autonomy of the territory under Moroccan sovereignty as a solution. Both the UN and the representatives of the DARS hold firmly against it in the referendum plan.

Recognition

Although DARS is a member of the African Union, the Republic is not recognized by the majority of the other members - just as by the majority of member states of the United Nations. The information on the recognition of the SADR by states are different from source to source, under the current 46 mainly African and Latin American countries are only 19 AU members. A further 37 countries (including 17 AU members) recognized the SADR initially at, but have since withdrawn the recognition or suspended until the holding of a referendum. But Polisario Front is recognized by most States as a negotiating partner and representative of the Sahrawi people.

Philately

The exile government of the SADR are stamps with the words " (Western ) Sahara OCC. R.A.S.D. " out. These brands are not run in the Michel catalog and have no international Frankaturgültigkeit.