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As peacekeepers leave Western Sahara, refugees yearn to end a half-century wait
Reuters • • general
Key Points:
- Binina Mohamed, 51, has spent her entire life in a refugee camp in Algeria after fleeing the Western Sahara conflict, which has lasted since 1976 and remains Africa's longest-running territorial dispute.
- The conflict involves Morocco, which claims Western Sahara as its territory, and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence; a UN peacekeeping mission began in 1991 but recently ended due to a Security Council deadlock.
- Refugees in the Tindouf camps face harsh living conditions and rely heavily on humanitarian aid, with over 160,000 estimated residents according to Algeria and Polisario, though Morocco disputes these figures.
- Diplomatic tensions escalated after Russia vetoed a US-backed UN resolution supporting Moroccan sovereignty with autonomy for Western Sahara, leaving the peacekeeping mission without a renewed mandate.
- Residents like Mohamed and her family express deep desire for stability and the ability to return home, emphasizing the need for a resolution that allows future generations to live in their own country rather than as refugees.
