Will Morocco and the Polisario Front go to war?
Western Sahara separatists say Morocco has invaded a buffer zone, but Moroccan army says the Front is blocking trade to Mauritania.
A 30-year-old ceasefire is over in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
That is according to the pro-independence Polisario Front, which says Moroccan troops have launched an attack in the region.
Morocco’s military says it has only set up a “security cordon” after elements of the Polisario Front blocked traffic on the only road linking it to Mauritania and the rest of Africa.
So could this be the end of the ceasefire in Western Sahara?
Presenter: Bernard Smith
Guests:
Sidi Omar – Polisario Front representative at the United Nations in New York
Yasmine Hasnaoui – North Africa specialist and board member of the Institute of Saharan Studies Al Andalous
Riccardo Fabiani – Project director covering North Africa at the International Crisis Group