From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Polisario or Polisario Front, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro ("People's Liberation Front of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro") is an army and political movement in the Western Sahara, principally comprised of the Saharawi people. It has an estimated membership of about 10,000.
In effect, Polisario is a successor of Bassin, the Movement for the Liberation of the Sahara, in 1960's. Spanish troops under Franco's regime crushed the revolt.
Polisario was formed on May 10 1973 with the express intention of the removal of Spanish, Moroccan (and for a period of c. 4 years Mauritanian) occupation of the Western Sahara. One of its founders was Mustapha Ouali, ex-member of the Communist Party of Morocco (who has since been estranged from the group). For the next two years, Polisario organized a number of hit-and-run attacks against occupation forces.
From 1975 Polisario has been stationed in Tindouf, western Algeria. At the same year United Nations mission recognized it and the World Court at the Hague ruled in favor for the their self-determination.
Polisario signed a peace treaty with Mauretania August 5 1979. Polisario still contests the southern third of the Western Sahara with Morocco, thought Morocco has managed to keep Polisario troops off by a sand wall and its larger army.
Currently, Polisario rules a desert strip of its country and organizes the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria. Proposed referendum about the fate of the Western Sahara has been postponed time after time for more than a decade. Support of Libya and Algeria has dwindled.
