The name given to the largest peaceful protest by the Saharawis since their displacement in 1975.

How this happened, and what it meant

Saharawis currently live under occupation in the Hamada, in South West Algeria - one of the harshest desert environments on Earth. This barren land receives almost no rain, has little vegetation, and endures extreme temperatures: both above 50°C and below 0°C.

A hamada is a type of desert landscape consisting of high, largely barren, hard rocky plateaus, where most of the sand has been removed by deflation. The majority of the Sahara is hamada.

The Saharawis speak Hassaniya, an Arabic dialect that got its name from the Beni Hassan tribes that invaded the region in the 11th and 13th centuries and conquered the local Sanhaja Berber tribes. In the context of the contemporary struggle, Hassaniya has become an important means of expressing Saharawi identity and resistance.

Learn more about their Language and Oral Traditions

The name Polisario Front is an acronym for “The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saquia el’Hamra and Rio de Oro.”

The Polisario Front is the Saharawi national liberation movement that has sought to end the occupation of Western Sahara through different means and has long advocated for the right of self-determination.The United Nations recognizes the Polisario as the representative of the Saharawi people and maintains that the Saharawis have a right to self-determination.

In Moroccan occupied Western Sahara, the Polisario is outlawed and anyone showing support for the movement or for the Saharawi cause risks facing violent repression from the Moroccan police.

The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is a government-in-exile, a full member of the African Union. Located in Rabouni, the administrative capital, the government runs 19 ministries (three led by women), parliament, TV, and radio.

The SADR is maintains diplomatic relations with 45 United Nations states, and is a full member of the African Union.

Wilaya is the term used to refer to the refugee camps in South West Algeria where displaced Saharawis currently live.

The Saharawi refugees live across five main wilayas, each named after towns in Western Sahara: Laayoune, Ausserd, Boujdour, Smara, and Dakhla.

Each wilaya is divided into dairas (boroughs), and further into hays (neighbourhoods). Every daira has its own primary school, health clinic, and local administration. Most wilayas now have middle schools, but children must leave the camps for higher education.