The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on 27 February 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. SADR claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony; however, at present the SADR government controls approximately 20–25% of the territory it claims. It calls the territories under its control the Free Zone, while Morocco claims its territories as its "southern provinces".

The SADR has been recognized by 84 United Nations (UN) member states, though several states have since "frozen" or "withdrawn" their recognition. Morocco has successfully lobbied states to withdraw and withhold their recognition of the SADR.

The SADR has been a member of the African Union (AU), formerly the Organization of African Unity (OAU), since 1984. At the time, Morocco withdrew from the OAU in protest, until 2017, when Morocco again joined the African Union. The UN recognizes the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people; it is occasionally invited to speak as Western Sahara's representative before the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, though this practice is inconsistent.

In 2020, the United States under Donald Trump was the first country to recognize Morocco's unilateral annexation of Western Sahara. While some countries reiterate support for the "territorial integrity of Morocco", a number of countries have expressed their support for a future status of Western Sahara as an autonomous part of Morocco.

Besides Mexico, Algeria, Iran, Venezuela, Vietnam, Nigeria and South Africa, India was the largest middle power to have ever recognized SADR, having allowed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to open an embassy in New Delhi in 1985. However, India withdrew its recognition in 2000.

Background information

The conflict in the Western Sahara dates back to the early 1970s, when the indigenous Sahrawi Polisario Front sprang up an insurgency in Spanish Sahara, demanding an independent Sahrawi Republic. In 1957, the then-Spanish territory was claimed by Morocco, who declared independence a year before.

On 16 October 1975, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion that, while some Sahrawi tribes held allegiance to Morocco, found that there were not any ties of sovereignty, from Morocco or Mauritania, over the territory of Western Sahara. Moreover, the ICJ invoked the right of self-determination for Sahrawis through their free and genuine expression of such will. Morocco defied this advisory and staged a Green March across the Sahara.

The Polisario's insurgency and subsequent international pressure led Spain to withdraw from the region in 1975, Spain agreed to the partition of the territory between Morocco and Mauritania despite the ICJ Advisory Opinion.

In 1976, the Polisario Front declared a Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Bir Lahlou. In 1979, Mauritania gave up its claim to Western Sahara, which led to Morocco taking over the Mauritanian-controlled portion of the territory. Armed conflict continued to break out until a 1991 ceasefire.

Seeking to change the status quo, the Polisario Front blocked the Western Saharan city of Guerguerat, a key trade route between Morocco and Mauritania in 2020. This led to a Moroccan military operation and subsequently led to the 2020 Western Saharan clashes and prompted the Polisario Front to quit observing the 1991 ceasefire.

States that have recognized the SADR

UN member states and South Ossetia either currently recognize the SADR or have recognized it in the past. Of these, a number of them have "suspended", "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition. Morocco has intensively, and successfully, pressured states to withdraw or withhold recognition of the SADR.

Countries that recognize the SADR as an independent state The following lists the states that recognize the SADR. States that have suspended their diplomatic relations with the SADR are highlighted in yellow; the downgrading of diplomatic relations is separate from withdrawing recognition.

State Date of recognition Relevant membership, further details AU, Arab League, OIC; Algeria–SADR relations AU AU, OIC — AU AU AU ASEAN ASEAN — AU, OIC —, Mexico–SADR relations AU —, Cuba–SADR relations OIC Arab League, OIC; SADR–Syria relations AU, Arab League, OIC AU AU — AU —, SADR–Venezuela relations — AU, Arab League, OIC AU, OIC; Nigeria–SADR relations — — AU ASEAN; SADR–Timor-Leste relations AU; SADR–South Africa relations AU; Kenya–SADR relations — AU

Non-UN states

State Date of recognition Relevant membership, further details —

Countries that recognized the SADR but have subsequently withdrawn recognition

State Date of Relevant membership, further details Recognition Withdrawal AU AU AU, OIC AU, OIC AU, OIC AU AU AU —, Panama–SADR relations AU ASEAN OIC AU — AU — OIC — — AU AU, OIC AU AU, OIC AU, OIC — OIC — — — — — — AU, OIC —, Peru–SADR relations — AU. —, India–SADR relations — — — — OIC — —, El Salvador–SADR relations OAS AU — — — Former states

State Date of Relevant membership, further details Recognition Withdrawal Arab League, OIC  (1984–1992) (1992–2004) —, SADR–Yugoslavia relations

States whose legislatures have voted to recognize the SADR The parliaments of several states that do not recognize the Sahrawi Republic have called on their respective governments to recognize SADR. In 1988, the Raul Alfonsín government of Argentina made a compromise to recognize the independence of the Sahrawi Republic in the end of 1988. This announcement was dated 6 May 1988, sent by a letter signed by Minister Dante Caputo to Minister of Foreign Affairs of SADR. In July 2010, the Argentine Chamber of Deputies registered a declaration project exhorting the government of Argentina to recognize the SADR and to establish diplomatic relations with it.

In November 1999, the foreign minister of Chile informed the Sahrawi Chancellor by letter that the president of Chile had decided to recognize the SADR. Chile's Chamber of Deputies repeatedly called for the recognition of SADR and establishment of diplomatic relations with the SADR, though this recognition was never implemented. Rather, Chile recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in September 2026. As of 2017, the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies has repeatedly asked government of Brazil to recognize SADR and establish diplomatic relations with it.

In 2004, the Australian Senate adopted a motion where "urges Australian government to positively consider extending diplomatic recognition to SADR at the appropriate time." In 2014, the Swedish Riksdag voted to recommend that the Swedish government "recognises the SADR as soon as possible", becoming the first EU member state to do so. In January 2014 a bill was submitted in the Danish parliament that Denmark would recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, but it has not been voted on.

See also Political status of Western Sahara Foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic List of states with limited recognition

Notes

References

External links Sahara Press Service, the public service of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahara Policy Index, a database of recent official state positions on Western Sahara