The Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony, and is the scene of Africa's longest-running territorial dispute. The phosphate-rich territory was annexed by Morocco after Spanish settlers left in 1975. The Polisario liberation front fought a guerrilla war against Morocco until the UN brokered a ceasefire in 1991. Morocco now offers to grant it autonomy, while Polisario is demanding a referendum on full independence. The talks between both sites have been deadlocked for years, and the last meeting in February 2010 ended without any movement in the dispute. On Monday November 8th at least ten people have been killed in clashes in Western Sahara, after Moroccan security forces broke up a protest camp near the territory's capital, Laayoune. This protest camp has been the biggest protest against Moroccan rule in the 35-year dispute. The repression by Moroccon forces came just days before a meeting in New York between Polisario and Moroccan officials to try and broker peace in the region.
The show starts with headlines, and then an interview with Malainin Lakhal, the Secretary General of the Saharawi Journalists and Writers Union and finally an interview with Sidi Omar, the Ambassador of the Sahrawi Republic to Ethiopia and the African Union. The show was aired on African Perspectives on CHRY 105.5fm in Toronto on November 14th, 2010.
Listen to the show here
Headlines and introduction until 19:22
19:23 Malainin Lakhal, the Secretary General of the Saharawi Journalists and Writers Union
41:05 Sidi Omar, the Ambassador of the Sahrawi Republic to Ethiopia and the African Union
