Morocco virtually annexed
the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara
(formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in
1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the
Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991
UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has
been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy
plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and
credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since
August 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the
Polisario Front have met three times to negotiate the status of Western
Sahara, with a fourth round of negotiations planned for March 2008. Its
languages are: Hassaniya Arabic and Moroccan Arabic
|