Agounit (also transliterated: Aghouinite, Aghounit, Aghoueinit, Agueinit, Agwenit, Agwanit, Agüenit, Aguanit; Arabic: أغوانيت) is a small town or village in the Río de Oro area of the disputed territory of Western Sahara. It is situated in the Polisario Front-held Free Zone of Western Sahara, under the jurisdiction of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and near the Mauritanian border, south-west from Fderik. It has a hospital, a school and a mosque. It is the head of the 7th military region of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Infrastructure On 7 June 2006, during the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the "Day of the Martyr" (commemorating the death in combat of El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, first president of the SADR), Mohamed Abdelaziz (president of the SADR) inaugurated a hospital (built up with help from the Basque country government), a desalination centre (built with the help of Andalusia government), a school and the Mayoralty of Agwenit.
Politics In May 2000, the Polisario Front celebrated the 27th anniversary of the beginning of their armed struggle with a military parade in Agounit.
In June 2006 (during the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the "Day of the Martyr") the town was the host of the annual conference of the Sahrawi communities abroad (Sahrawi diaspora).
International relations Twin towns and sister cities Agounit is twinned with:
Amurrio, Álava, Basque Country, Spain Busturia, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain Campiglia Marittima, Livorno, Tuscany, ItalyGemellaggi e Patti di Amicizia Regione Toscana - Consiglio Regionale, 27 March 2010 Gatika, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain Lapuebla de Labarca, Álava, Basque Country, Spain Mallabia, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain Motril, Granada, Andalucía, Spain Poggio a Caiano, Prato, Tuscany, ItalySolidarietà per il Popolo Saharawi Comune.poggio-a-caiano.po.it Ponsacco, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy Portoferraio, Livorno, Tuscany, Italy (since 8 November 2004)PATTO DI AMICIZIA CON LA TENDOPOLI DI AGUENIT NELLA REPUBBLICA ARABA DEMOCRATICA SAHARAWI Comune.portoferraio.li.it, 2 August 2004 Puçol, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (since 1 September 2002) Quarrata, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy Rignano sull'Arno, Florence, Tuscany, Italy Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain (since 1995)Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui Trescantos.es
References
External links 1970's black and white photos of the Spanish hospital in Agüenit