Western Sahara Government Profile 2009

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara

Government type

legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976 when Spain withdrew, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara or MINURSO

Capital

none
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage

none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed

Executive branch

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

International organization participation

WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US

none

Diplomatic representation from the US

none

Group

All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Africa