Western Sahara: Waiting To Go Home

Extended description: This referendum was originally scheduled to be held in January of 1992, but disagreements over who is eligible to vote obstructed it for all these years. The first peace plan between the Polisario Front--or free Sahara movement--and Morocco agreed that the number of eligible voters was 74,000, as determined by an electoral census taken by Spain in 1974. But once the agreement was signed, Morocco demanded that 120,000 more voters be added to the census. According to Moroccan authorities, they were Saharans who had fled to southern Morocco during Spanish colonization and, therefore, had the right to vote. But the Polisario saw this as a clear maneuver to include thousands of Moroccans who would vote in favor of becoming a part of Morocco. Postponement of the referendum caused bitter frustration among the 160,000 Saharans living in refugee camps at Tindouf in Algeria. After seventeen years of exile and a war that neither side had been able to win, these refugees were anxious to go home. But the Sahara they left behind in 1975 has changed. Over the years, Morocco has invested heavily there to win local support. Some of the people have collaborated with the occupation forces, while others have remained silent out of fear of repression. Demonstrating in favor of independence can mean years of imprisonment. People in occupied Sahara are also waiting for the referendum. It will be the first and last time for them to be able to freely express their opinion. According to the latest agreement, approximately 80,000 voters will participate in the referendum, a figure closer to Polisario estimates. The Saharans view this new peace plan with hope, but also with mistrust since they know from experience that last-minute obstacles can arise. 30 MINUTS visited occupied Saharan territory, the territories liberated by the Polisario, and refugee camps. Reporters talked to people who have collaborated with the occupation and to victims of the repression. They listened to the frustrations of refugees who were confident of their imminent return to Sahara five years ago, and they witnessed first-hand the effects of a long, drawn-out war. This is the testimony of a people who have been living in exile, oppression and war for the last 22 years. - AL-A'YUN (SAHARA OCCIDENTAL) DP CLASSE NOIS I NOIES PM NOIS I NOIES SAHARIANS OPINEN SOBRE EL SAHARA PM EL MAHLAVUI HASSAN, PROFESSOR D'HISTORIA, OPINA DP NOIS A CLASSE D'HISTORIA PTPR TERRENYS RECUPERATS PEL SAHARA EL 1975 DP CIUTAT AL-A'YUN PAN CIUTAT AL-A'YUN PM RGEIBI ELGARDAG, CAP CAMBRA COMERC AL-A'YUN, OPINA DP TREBALLS AL DESERT PG HOSPITAL AL DESERT DP MINES DE FOSFATS DP VAIXELLS DE PESCA DP BEDUINS A LES TENDES PM DAHI MOHAMED MAULUD, OPINA PM SALKA LEKUARA, AMB LA CARA MIG TAPADA, OPINA DP BEDUINS A LA TENDA MENJANT I PRENENT TE DP COL.LABORADORS DEL REI PM CHEJ MAALENIN LARABAS, ASSESSOR HASSAN II, OPINA PM HASSAN DIRHAM, CONSELLER MUNICIPI D'AL-A'YUN, PARLA DEL MARROC DP CAPS DE TRIBUS PM MOHAMED ALI SIDI BACHIR, CAP DE TRIBU EXILIAT, OPINA DP VIDA URBANA DP SOLDATS PELS CARRERS PM MAMA SIDI ABDELHADI, EX-PRESA EXILIADA, PARLA DE LES PRESONS MARROQUINES DP MAHMUD MULEY AHMED, EXILIAT, PARLA DELS CONTROLS POLICIALS DP SOLDATS A L'ACADEMIA MILITAR, A TINDUF (ALGERIA) DP CAMPAMENTS DE REFUGIATS SAHARIANS DP DONES AMB NENS PP MAMA SIDI ABDELHADI, COMENTA QUE NO HI HA FAMILIA SENCERES DP FAMILIA DP MOHAMED YEDDU NAUA, COMENTA COM VA FUGIR AMB LA FAMILIA PM YADENNA MOHAMED YEDDU, DIU QUE NO VOL VIURE AL MARROC DP CAMPAMENTS A ALGERIA DP DONA LLAURANT DP CONSTRUCCIO D'UNA TENDA AMB MAONS DE FANG PM DONA SAHARIANA ES QUEIXA D'ESPANYA DP NENS CORRENT PER ANAR A L'ESCOLA DP CLASSE DP GRANJA DE GALLINES DP OASIS VERD DP DADAH BUDAH, TECNIC AGRONOM, DIU COM VAN CONSTRUIR LA GRANJA DP CAMPAMENT: DONES CUINANT, RENTANT PM LAKRIF AHMED, PARTIT NAC. DEMOCRATIC MARROC, PARLA DELS REFUGIATS I DEL CENS DEL SAHARA PM JOSE RAMON DIEGO AGUIRRE, EX-ADJUNT CAP INFORMACIO SAHARA ESPANYOL, PARLA DE COM ES VA CENSAR EL SAHARA PAN AL-A'YUN DP CAMPAMENT PM LUIS RODRIGUEZ DE VIGURI, EX-SECRETARI GRAL. SAHARA ESP., OPINA DP REFUGIATS BEBENT PM MOHAMED LAMINE BABA, RESPONSABLE CAMPAMENT UNITAT D'AL-A'YUN, PARLA DEL CAMPAMENT DP REUNIO AL CAMPAMENT: ELS REFUGIATS ENSENYEN ELS SEUS DOCUMENTS DP ABDALI BEN EMBAREK, PORTAVEU CAMPAMENT UNITAT AL-A'YUN, OPINA I DIU QUE PARTICIPARAN EN EL REFERENDUM PM IBRAHIM GHALI, MEMBRE FUNDADOR FRONT POLISARI, OPINA DP REUNIO SAHARAUIS PM TAYEB SADIK BACHIR, EXILIAT, OPINA PM MOHAMED ALDELAZIZ, SECRETARI GRAL. FRONT POLISARI, OPINA DP CAMPAMENT DE TIDUF A ALGERIA PM NOIA OPINANT DP ESCOLA NENS REFUGIATS PM NOIA PARLA DE L'ALTO EL FOC DP CAMPAMENT PM JADENNA AMB EL SEU BAGUL PER GUARDAR-HO TOT DP ASSEMBLEA DELS REFUGIATS: CRITS DE INDEPENDENCIA DP IBRAHIM HAKIM, AMBAIXADOR ITINERANT HASSAN II, DIU PERQUE VA ACCEPTAR VIURE AL MARROC PM MAHYUBA BAH ESIID, DONA D'IBRAHIM, OPINA DEL SEU MARIT DP YACOB DERWICH, NEBOT D'IBRAHIM, DIU QUE L'ONCLE S'HA PASSAT A L'ENEMIC DP CAMPAMENT DE PRESSONERS DE GUERRA MARROQUINS PM ZREUI MOHAMED, SERGENT MARROQUI, OPINA DP PRESSONERS DP TANCS I VEHICLES DE GUERRA PTPR MURS DE DEFENSA MARROQUINS DP CAMPAMENT DESTRUIT DP UNITAT MILITAR DEL FRONT POLISARIO PM MOHAMED BACHIRI, CAP D'UNITAT, OPINA PM ANDRE VAN BAELEN, GENERAL DE CAP MINURSO, OPINA SOBRE LA MISSIO DE LES NACIONS UNIDES DP CASCS BLAUS DE L'ONU PM JAVIER PEREZ DE CUELLAR, EX-SECRETARI GENERAL ONU, PARLA DEL SAHARA DP SOLDATS PREPARANT ARMES DP FESTA ANIVERSARI REPUBLICA ARAB-SAHARAIANA: BALLS Report on the agreement to hold a referendum as to whether Western Sahara--a former Spanish colony--should be incorporated into Morocco or become independent. Original language summary: Reportatge sobre el conflicte del Sàhara, ex-colònia espanyola, i l'acord per fer un referèndum per decidir si ha de formar part del Marroc o ser independent.