South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday vowed his government’s “unapologetic” backing for the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara.
The disputed status of Western Sahara –– a former Spanish colony considered a “non-self-governing territory” by the United Nations –– has pitted Morocco against the Algeria-backed pro-independence Polisario Front since the 1970s.
The Polisario proclaimed the SADR in 1976, placing it in conflict with Morocco, which considers the Western Sahara to be part of its own territory.
Rabat controls nearly 80 percent of the territory and is pushing for autonomy under its sovereignty.
The dynamics of the long-simmering conflict changed in 2020 when then US president Donald Trump recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for the kingdom’s normalisation of relations with Israel.
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