Algerian Radio
The Sahrawi people commemorate on Wednesday—in the occupied territories and refugee camps, as well as within the diaspora—the 53rd anniversary of the outbreak of their armed struggle. This marks a decisive step in the history of their fight for independence and serves as an opportunity to reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the legitimate and inalienable right to self-determination under the leadership of the Polisario Front.
This anniversary comes as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) continues to consolidate its presence at the regional and international levels. This is driven by diplomatic and legal victories, political achievements, and a broad national consensus around the objectives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front), against a backdrop of condemnation of the violations committed by the Moroccan occupation against the Sahrawi people.
The outbreak of the armed struggle on May 20, 1973, reflects the Sahrawi people's conviction in the justness of their cause and formalized their break from a period of colonial domination. On that day, the Sahrawis decided, under the leadership of the Polisario Front—the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people—to take up arms to wrest their independence from the occupation, initially against the Spanish and subsequently against Morocco, which invaded the Sahrawi territories in 1975.
On this historic date, a group of Sahrawis decided to attack the Spanish post of El Khanga, east of the city of Smara. This operation heralded the outbreak of the armed struggle in Western Sahara, following the resolutions taken ten days earlier, on May 10, during the Constitutive Congress of the Polisario Front, which decreed in its founding text that "it is through the rifle that freedom will be snatched."
These events constituted a turning point in the trajectory of the Sahrawi cause, contributing to internal unity and the diversification of forms of political, diplomatic, and military struggle. They also drew the international community's attention to the issue and destabilized the Spanish colonial administration, ultimately pushing it to withdraw from the territory, thereby paving the way for new expansionist ambitions.
At the end of 1975, the conflict entered a new phase with the Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara. The Sahrawi People's Liberation Army then engaged in military clashes against the Moroccan occupation forces, who used various types of internationally banned weapons to bomb defenseless civilians.
During the war years, the Sahrawi forces intensified their operations, launching attacks against Moroccan military positions and bases. This pushed Morocco to build the sand wall (berm), thousands of kilometers long and equipped with mines and fortifications, without preventing the Sahrawi army from continuing its operations alongside diplomatic efforts. These efforts eventually led Morocco to accept the UN peace plan, which provided for a ceasefire and the organization of a self-determination referendum.
The ceasefire came into effect in 1991 under the aegis of the United Nations, but the settlement process remained blocked due to Morocco's refusal to comply with UN resolutions stipulating the organization of the referendum, in contradiction with international legality. This situation led to persistent tensions, particularly after the resumption of military actions against Sahrawi civilians.
Morocco's violation of the ceasefire—most notably the intervention of its forces on November 13, 2020, against peaceful civilian protesters in the Guerguerat buffer zone—led the Sahrawi leadership to announce on November 14 the resumption of the armed struggle to protect its people and continue the fight until the complete liberation of the occupied territories.
Since the breakdown of the ceasefire, the Moroccan occupation has resorted to sophisticated weapons, including drones, against Sahrawi civilians. In parallel, the units of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army (SPLA) are continuing their attacks against the positions of the Moroccan forces, inflicting heavy losses upon them.
Thus, the commemoration of the outbreak of the armed struggle holds profound symbolic significance for the Sahrawis. It is marked every year by popular gatherings, as well as political and cultural conferences recounting the journey of the national struggle and the developments of the Sahrawi issue on the regional and international levels.
This anniversary also provides an opportunity to renew calls for a political solution to the Western Sahara conflict, in accordance with United Nations resolutions guaranteeing the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. Furthermore, the international community is tirelessly continuing its efforts through the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the initiatives of the UN Special Envoy to relaunch the political process.
