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On Friday morning, Morocco sent a military offensive to the Guerguerat area to put an end to the demonstration of Saharawi civilians.
The Polisario Front Friday declared war on Morocco, according to an official statement from the Sahrawi Republic, assuring that it is the "firm response" to the Kingdom of Morocco after an incursion by its army which attacked Sahrawi civilian demonstrators in the Guerguerat gap, south of Western Sahara.
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This morning, Morocco sent a military offensive to the Guerguerat area to put an end to the demonstration of Saharawi civilians who have been peacefully blocking the border crossing since last October 21.
The incursion of Morocco into the Saharan territory ended the confrontation with the Saharan army that tried to protect the civilians who were affected. So far, no official casualties have been reported, but the protest camp has ended in flames and almost destroyed by the clashes.
The Polisario Front accuses Morocco of "flagrantly" violating the ceasefire after entering the territory and attacking Saharawi civilians. The tension remains in the zone where the two armies are face to face.
#ULTIMAHORA ⚠️ Cruce de disparos entre el Ejército Saharaui y Marruecos en la brecha del #Guerguerat al sur del #SaharaOccidental pic.twitter.com/QG8bmUyww4
— Sergio Rodrigo (@SRodrigoteleSUR) November 13, 2020
In the Saharawi refugee camps, in the Algerian city of Tindouf, the protests have been repeated by young Saharawis who demand the Polisario to "respond" to the events that took place this morning between the two armies in southern Western Sahara.
On November 13, the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front held an emergency meeting after "the Moroccan army broke the ceasefire in El Guerguerat. "We will respond adequately and as promised," the Front stated declaring war on Morocco.
#SAHARA �� Movilizaciones en los campamentos de #Refugiados saharauis para entrar en las filas del Ejército Popular de Liberación #Polisario y responder al ejército marroquí tras su incursión en el sur del Sáhara Occidental pic.twitter.com/Ts1XdAkNe1
— Sergio Rodrigo (@SRodrigoteleSUR) November 13, 2020
The Saharawis warn their population that "the great battle began and with it, the Great War of the liberation of all the people."
The Polisario called "all the people to prepare themselves in response to the brutal aggression and for the new and decisive stage in the struggle for freedom, dignity, and sovereignty."
Western Sahara is a territory occupied by Morocco since 1975 when the African ex-colony was abandoned by Spain. Since then, an armed dispute between Morocco and the Saharawis was maintained, ending in 1991 with a peace treaty that would lead to a referendum on self-determination, which to date has not taken place.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | SADC countries concluded a solidarity meeting on the freedom of Western #Sahara, attended by other countries outside #Africa, including #Venezuela. From Pretoria, our correspondent Matuba Mahlatjie gives us this report. pic.twitter.com/zCO4MLVRr9
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 29, 2019
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