Human rights campaigners argue the former Spanish colony is under occupation by Morocco since the north African state annexed the area in 1975 and named it the Southern provinces.
Known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) by the Polisario Front government-in-exile, the area is accepted by the UN as a self-governing entity awaiting a referendum on independence.
The SADR’s independence bid is also being supported by Morocco’s neighbour Algeria and as a result is a significant source of regional tension.
UK-based
