Flag of The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - Political Status

Political Status

See also: Legal status of Western Sahara

The flag is the official flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which was proclaimed in 1976 by the Polisario Front, a national liberation movement of the Sahrawi people. The Republic claims sovereignty over the geographical region of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony in North Africa; however, the flag does not have any official status in the region. This is because SADR's claim to sovereignty is disputed by Morocco, who currently control most of the territory. The territorial dispute arose after Spain relinquished administrative control of the territory in 1975, which resulted in a war between Morocco, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front. Mauritania pulled out of the conflict in 1979, leaving Morocco and the Polisarios as the sole disputants.

Both SADR's and Morocco's claims to Western Sahara have received international support. 84 states have formally recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic at some point in its history, and it has been allowed to join the African Union; in turn, Morocco's position has been supported by several African countries and most of the Arab League. However, the governments of major nations such as the United States and Russia have generally taken a neutral stance toward the dispute.

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