Saturday, December 01, 2012

African things (Western Sahara)

Today it is really hot and humid in equatorial Africa. On the way home from the book store my shirt became soaked with sweat. I purchased Toby Shelley, Endgame in the Western Sahara: What Future for Africa's Last Colony ? (London: Zed, 2004). I am trying to expand my knowledge about Africa and I know very little about the conflict in Western Sahara. All I know right now is that it was a Spanish colony and that the independence movement fighting against colonial rule was called the Polisario. When Spain withdrew from the colony, Morocco and Mauritania took control over the territory. The Polisario backed by Algeria continued to fight against the new occupiers and eventually Mauritania withdrew and Morocco occupied their former portion of Western Sahara. Last time I checked Morocco still occupied Western Sahara and the Polisario was still trying to achieve an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. I should know an awful lot more after I finish reading Shelley's book.

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