(AP) The territory of Western Sahara, roughly the size of Colorado, along Africa's Atlantic coast south of Morocco, has a population of 600,000 people. The area was colonized by Spain in the 19th century and Morocco annexed it in 1975. The pro-independence Polisario Front, representing the local Sahrawi population and backed by Algeria, fought Moroccan forces for years for control of the territory. UN peace-keeping forces have been in place since 1991. Morocco has proposed wide-ranging autonomy for Western Sahara.
2020-12-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive