For Memory, Truth and Justice

Western Sahara

In 1975 Morocco invaded Western Sahara, given birth to a war that would last until 1991. One of the terror tactics the Moroccan authorities used against the Saharan civilian population was that of forced disappearances. Over 1,000 people were disappeared during the conflict. They were taken to clandestine detention centers, where they lingered up to 18 years. Hundreds were freed in the 1980's and '90s, dozens more died but the fate of the rest remains unknown. The practice of forced disappearances has not been completely abolished, though arbitrary detentions are more common now. About 650 people remain disappeared.