People are used to them by now but are unhappy with their presence as they are yet to fulfill their mission to conduct a referendum allowing us to choose between integration with Morocco, autonomy and independence. They have become a common sight – you see them walking around in their uniform, you see their flags in front of their headquarters in downtown. The city itself is home to UN peace keeping forces known as MINURSO who have been here since 1991. This conflict has deeply affected lifehere – development is slow, there are a lack of opportunities and an ongoingsuspension of many rights, including the right to self-determination. The region offers many investment and development opportunities, but the political status quo is hovering over the legality of such activities, stalling progress. There’s a conflict dividing Morocco and the Polisario Front, the national liberation group that is pushing for independence.Ī frozen conflict, it looms over the territory and its natives. Biggest controversyĭespite being described as the sleepy city and jewel of the desert, El-Aaiún, the capital of the disputed Western Sahara region, is a place in political turmoil.Since the departure of the Spaniards and the annexation of the territory by Morocco in 1975, the Western Sahara is yet to find a permanent legal status. ![]() When it gets hot in summer, Foum Elwad is the only nearby resort for the local population and many rent houses here, while thousands used to camp in tents, a practice outlawed by the Moroccan authorities after 2010’s Gdeim Izik protest camp. This beach has the potential to be a very important part of our city’s infrastructure, with its villas, gardens and kids’ playgrounds. Here people surf and snorkel when the waters are clear. Foum Elwad (the River’s Mouth in English) is located just 20 kilometers from the city. Just as the desert is seen as an extension of the city, so too is the beach. The constant wind plays with around and makes it hard to get rid of them. The city is getting bigger and bigger with cement buildings and paved streets outnumbering the green spaces.Īlso, sadly, thousands of plastic bags are becoming a usual sight in all corners and streets of the city and even in the desert. Today, ugly buildings, shops and villas stand in the places where there should have been only greenery. One of the greatest crime committed against the city of El-Aaiún is the squandering of the city’s property reserve – allocated for parks and kids playgrounds – that was given for free to some privileged people. The desert surrounds the city and, if you are airborne, you will only see a few tiny green fields scattered here and there in the surrounding sands. Located in such a strategic spot in the city, on a main boulevard close to the governmental buildings, it’s a real shame that it remains unoccupied and unrenovated. It still stands empty and at night it looks as if it’s haunted – many dare not enter it and keep their distance. It was during clashes between Saharawis and Moroccan police, in the wake of the Gdeim Izik camp protest in November 2010, that the building was almost entirely burnt down. Built during the mid-2000s, construction had not even finished on it before it was effectively destroyed. It is agreed by most the inhabitants of the city that this gloomy reddish building is amongst our worst, both in terms of its architectural design and its story. ![]() A waste of space … El-Aaiún’s worst building.
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