The Western Sahara crisis is one of the oldest conflicts left by colonialism in the African continent. The area of ​​the Western Sahara region is 266,000 square kilometers. It is a desert region on the Atlantic coast. It is one of the important regions and represents a strategic depth for Morocco because it faces the Canary Islands, which are controlled by Spain. It also represents the depth of Mauritania and is the shortest way that connects Algeria to the Atlantic Ocean and to the outside world.

The population of the region is a mixture of Berbers and Arabs, and they work in agriculture, shepherds sheep, and the coastal population works in the profession of hunting. Important trade routes pass through the region linking North Africa with the inland regions. The region is also distinguished by its richness in minerals such as copper, uranium, chromium, manganese, iron and phosphate. Morocco relies on its historical right to the region, because The Sahara was under the supervision of the Moroccan kings who were appointed governors of the provinces in order to settle disputes.

On the other hand, Mauritania believes that since the eleventh century AD, the Sahara was known as Chinguetti, which was the nucleus of the Almoravid state that subjugated the Far and Middle Maghreb, and its influence extended to Andalusia. However, the historical roots of the Western Sahara crisis go back to the beginning of the Spanish colonial era. Geography at the end of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth century.

The occupation activity of the Canary Islands began, specifically in 1476 AD, followed by their onslaught on the coasts of Africa, which led to a clash with the Ottoman Empire, which had begun to expand in the Arab world. Therefore, Spain preferred to devote itself to completing its discovery activity to form the Spanish Empire. After that, Spain resumed its interest in African activity, as it seized the city of Avni on the Atlantic coast facing the Canary Islands.

It built a fortress around the city, and the situation continued until it succeeded in concluding an agreement with Morocco regarding Spanish sovereignty over the city, which remained nominal for the year 1934 AD, and Spain extended its control over the coastal area facing the Canary Islands and called it the Spanish Sahara. It divided the region into two administrative parts, The first was called Sakia El Hamra, its most important city was the capital city of El-Ayoun, and the southern section was called Nahr El-Dhahab, and its most important city was Villassneros.

When France granted Morocco its independence after the dismissal of Sultan Muhammad bin Arafa and the return of Sultan Muhammad V, who had been exiled in 1953 AD, which led to the embarrassment of Spain’s position on its presence in the countryside based on an agreement with France when it occupied it in 1912 AD, which led to Spain’s submission to the order and it ended the Spanish protection on The northern region of Morocco in 1956 AD, the international administration of Tangiers was abolished and Moroccan sovereignty was restored from the first of January 1957 AD.

All these developments contributed to the embarrassment of the Spanish presence in both Western Sahara and Avni, but with the emergence of the importance of the region and the discovery of minerals in it in the early sixties, Spain decided to separate Avni and strengthen its military presence in Western Sahara, establish several military centers, and introduced a number of reforms in the region.

Morocco began to demand the withdrawal of Spain from Avni and the Sahara, with the support of the Arab and African sides and the region. The United Nations issued a decision regarding the rights of the Arabs to the city of Avni, and it was handed over to Morocco in 1969 AD, but Spain insisted on keeping the Western Sahara, and Spain worked to create a party loyal to the region from the tribal chiefs She invited them to visit Spain, and Morocco sent a delegation to Madrid to find a solution to the Western Sahara crisis.

In 1974, the United Nations demanded an answer to two questions: Was the Western Sahara a land that had no owner before the Spanish presence, and what was the nature of the relationship that linked this territory with Morocco and Mauritania before the Spanish occupation? In 1975, the Spanish government came to an agreement with Morocco and Mauritania to divide the two countries into the territory of the Sahara, and the Moroccan forces marched north to secure the air base in El-Ayoun and the international airport.

Mauritania placed its hand on the southern part in the city of Villassneros, and an agreement was signed in 1976 to define the borders between the two countries, and the phosphate zone was entered under Moroccan sovereignty, and the port of Villaszneiros was under the sovereignty of Mauritania, thus winning fisheries, but this agreement blew up the current problem, a number of Saharan residents moved Algeria and Algeria allowed them tents.

On February 27, 1976 AD, they declared the establishment of the Sahrawi Arab Republic, and Mohammed bin Abdulaziz was appointed as its president. The problem became complicated with the recognition of a number of African countries, and armed confrontations and military confrontation began. The Polisario focused their attack on Mauritania because it was the weakest country, and they struck the iron mines, and the government imposed taxes. On the people, the problem is still burning looking for a final solution to it.