Click to see full-size image. Via X.
A barrage of rockets hit on June 28 the outskirts of the Moroccan-controlled city of Smara in the disputed Western Sahara region.
The rockets fell near the Lazab neighborhood, close to the headquarters of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), and around the Smara Airport. No casualties were reported.
Morocco and the Polisario Front, an armed group demanding independence for Western Sahara, have been fighting over the disputed territory, a vast area bordering Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria that was previously occupied by Spain, for decades.
MINURSO was established by UN Security Council Resolution 690 under a ceasefire agreement reached between Morocco and Polisario in 1991. The mission was tasked with managing the preparatory process for a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara will decide on independence or integration with Morocco. However, the referendum is yet to be held.
The Sahara Press Service, affiliated with Polisario, later reported that the rocket attack was carried out by the Sahara People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and targeted positions of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (RMAF).
Accompanied by the RMAF, MINURSO conducted a field visit to areas where the munitions fell. The investigations assessed the types of munitions, explosion sites and whether a ceasefire had been violated.
Click to see full-size image. Via X.
Click to see full-size image. Via X.
Since 2020, there has been a surge in violence in Western Sahara with the RMAF and SPLA exchanging attacks on regular basis. An all-out war is slowly becoming more likely, especially with Morocco rebuilding its armed forces with help from Israel for the last few years. Such a war will likely see Algeria intervening on the side of Polisario, its long time ally.
It’s worth noting that Western Sahara is rich in phosphate deposits. There is potential for offshore oil and gas reserves, although these are largely unproven.
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most conflicts in the world are provoked and fueled by 4 countries: france, ussa, israel and britain. the russians and chinese might arm sides in various wars but they almost never provoke the conflicts