Western Sahara 1998

Western Sahara Capital

Yearbook 1998

Western Sahara. The year was marked by discussions about the referendum on V’s future status which was planned for December but which was to be postponed for at least one year. Through the vote, residents will decide whether the former Spanish colony should become independent or accrue to Morocco, which since 1975 occupies most of the area. The main question is who will be allowed to vote. In November, the UN had registered 147,000 voters.

Morocco demanded the right to vote for an additional 65,000 people, but the Western Saharan independence movement Polisario said many of them were not Western Saharans. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited the area in November, pointing out that the UN has no resources to hold troops in V. for any length of time.

Problems also arose around the mine clearance that the UN Security Council decided in January to secure the roads in the area so that refugees can return to vote.

Nearly 100 Swedish UN soldiers and police arrived on the scene during the summer, but the V government demanded control of their weapons and clearing equipment, which delayed their work by a month and a half.

Western Sahara Capital