Western Sahara:
Government

Western Sahara Page

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Other pages in this profile of Western Sahara:
Geography, People, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Country name	Definition conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara
Government type	Definition legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara or MINURSO
Capital	Definition none time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions	Definition none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Suffrage	Definition none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed
Executive branch	Definition none
Political pressure groups and leaders	Definition none
International organization participation	Definition none
Diplomatic representation in the US	Definition none
Diplomatic representation from the US	Definition none