Morocco contends it has an ancient claim over the Western Sahara dating from when the Kingdom of Morocco was dominate in a section of North Africa prior to European colonization. International legal and political bodies have consistently rejected Moroccan claims to the Western Sahara, located south of Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean coast of North Africa.
The African Union, the body representing 54 nations in Africa, supports the U.N. backed vote to determine the future of the Western Sahara. Morocco is the only country on the African continent that does not belong to the AU -- having left the AU's predecessor (the Organization of Africa Unity) in 1984 when the OAU recognized the SADR's claims on the Western Sahara.
Morocco has been able to defy the United Nations and other bodies demanding a referendum due to overt support from France and tacit support from the United States.
Morocco's position to extend autonomy to the Western Sahara enjoys bi-partisan backing on Capitol Hill -- support that embraces strange bedfellows. For example liberal black Democratic Congressman from South Carolina James Clyburn, a staunch supporter of President Obama, supports Morocco's autonomy scheme as does South Carolina conservative white Republican Congressman Joe Wilson who uttered the infamous "You Lie!" insult at Obama during Obama's 2009 State of the Union address.
While most Americans view Cuba through a decades-long anti-Castro/pro-embargo prism, most Africans praise Cuba for its contributions of economic, educational, medical and military assistance. Legendary South African leader Nelson Mandela frequently credited Cuban assistance as pivotal in the defeat of apartheid. America fully supported South Africa's white minority racist government until the late 1980s.
Cuban assistance to the Sahrawi includes having trained thousands of Sahrawi in areas from education to medicine without charging fees. SADR Minister Hamdi said proudly that one of her children received training as a journalist in Cuba. Minister Mojtar noted that during "400-years of colonialism, just one Sahrawi was trained as a doctor."
Seven of the 14 doctors working at the Bachir Saleh Hospital serving the refugee camps near Tinduf are from Cuba. The six Sahrawi doctors at that hospital received their training in Cuba. Cuban Dr. Maria Borego said she works six-hour shifts, six days a week. Borego said the work at Saleh is difficult because of differences in language and culture.
In early November 2014, many Americans applauded the 25th Anniversary of the removal of the Berlin Wall, that once divided Germany's largest city, unaware of the 'Moroccan Wall' that is ten times larger.
Morocco has built a 1,677-mile long wall enclosing its occupied area of the Western Sahara. That wall stretching across the length of the Western Sahara is constructed of sand, rock and metal.
Over 100,000 Moroccan soldiers man this wall that is buffered on the non-occupation side by 5-to-7-million land mines. Operating the 'Moroccan Wall' costs nearly $3-million per day. Morocco funds operation of its wall through revenue generated from plundering natural resources in the Western Sahara according to European experts.
LINN WASHINGTON JR. is a member of ThisCantBeHappening!, the independent, uncompromised, five-time Project Censored Award-winning online alternative newspaper. His work, and that of colleagues JOHN GRANT, GARY LINDORFF, ALFREDO LOPEZ, LORI SPENCER, DAVE LINDORFF and the late CHARLES M. YOUNG, can be found at www.thiscantbehappening.net
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