Morocco is securing substantial international support for its controversial autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Since mid-May, it has signed new deals with the UK, the UAE, and the EU to further cement its sovereignty claims over the disputed territory, which it has occupied since the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain in 1975.
Morocco controls about 80% of the sparsely-populated territory, which the UN considers a “non-self-governing territory.” Meanwhile, the Algeria-backed Polisario Front controls the remaining 20% (see map), seeking an end to Moroccan “occupation” and the establishment of an independent state for the indigenous Sahrawi people. (CONTINUED - 926 WORDS)
