非洲風情：西撒哈拉的主權爭議
已更新：8月10日
位處非洲西北部的西撒哈拉（Western Sahara），面積逾26萬平方公里。這個沙漠和乾旱地帶，人口約有五十萬到六十萬，主要由撒哈拉威人（Sahrawi）組成，屬於阿拉伯柏柏爾族群，以遊牧為生，大多數人信奉伊斯蘭教。曾被西班牙殖民的西撒哈拉，與其他接壤國家存主權爭議。
西班牙原準備一九七五年撤出，決定讓殖民地西撒哈拉獨立。北部接壤的摩洛哥宣稱西撒哈拉是歷史固有領土，國王哈桑二世號召約三十五萬平民，在政府軍隊保護下，從摩洛哥南部塔爾法亞出發，跨越邊界進入西撒哈拉。由於平民帶著代表伊斯蘭教的綠色旗幟，因而稱為綠色進軍。
病卧在床的西班牙獨裁者弗朗西斯科・佛朗哥無心戀戰，與摩洛哥及東南部接壤的毛里塔尼亞，簽訂承諾翌年全面撤軍、放棄西撒哈拉的《馬德里協定》。摩洛哥稱綠色進軍解放西撒哈拉，實現領土統一，卻與毛里塔尼亞及獲阿爾及利亞支持的「波利薩里奧陣線」爆發爭奪領土衝突。
一九七九年，毛利塔尼亞退出戰事並承認撒哈拉威人主權。摩洛哥控制西部大西洋沿岸區域，佔八成總面積；「波利薩里奧陣線」則控制東部約兩成地區；另約二十萬名難民居於阿爾及利亞境內廷杜夫五個難民營。維和部隊「聯合國西撒哈拉全民投票特派團」獲安理會授權派遣當地。
安理會原訂在一九九三年舉行公投，但由於摩洛哥及「波利薩里奧陣線」就選民資格存有嚴重分歧：前者認為所有與撒哈拉原居民有血緣或部落關係的人都應有投票資格，包括殖民時期未登記者、難民及後來遷入者等；後者則稱只有在人口普查名單的居民才能投票，公投成空中樓閣。
直至二零二五年，安理會通過支持摩洛哥所提出自治計劃的決議，在摩洛哥主權下賦予西撒哈拉自治，成立民選立法、行政和司法機構，摩洛哥則負責國防、外交和宗教事務。波利薩里奧陣線表明不會參與任何合法化摩洛哥軍事佔領的提案，未知約二千七百公里土牆「Berm」會否倒下？
位處摩洛哥境內的西班牙「飛地」休達（另一個為梅利利亞），二零二六年遭逾七萬二千名非法移民湧入，造成約一百人死。摩洛哥內政部稱，邊境移民危機主要是社交媒體有消息散播，誤以為可輕易進入歐盟毋須承擔法律後果，事件亦引致西班牙與意大利就重啟邊境管制措施糾紛。
Sovereignty Disputes in Western Sahara
Located in northwestern Africa, Western Sahara spans an area of over 260,000 km². This desert area has around 500,000 to 600,000 population, which is mainly composed of the Sahrawi. They traditionally live nomadic life and the majority of the population are Muslim. After colonisation of Spain in 1976, Western Sahara had sovereignty disputes with its neighboring countries.
Originally, the Spanish government planned to withdraw in 1975, and allow the independence of Western Sahara. Yet, Morocco claimed that Western Sahara was a Moroccan territory in history. King Hassan II called on 350,000 civilians to march across the border from Tarfaya in Morocco to Western Sahara. Due to the Islamic flags, the campaign became known as the Green March.
Spanish dictator Francisco Franco signed the Madrid Accords with Morocco and Mauritania, promising the military withdrawal from Western Sahara. Morocco claimed that the Green March liberated Western Sahara with an aim to achieve territorial unity, but it soon escalated a conflict with Mauritania and Algeria-supported Polisario Front.
Mauritania withdrew from the fight and recognized Sahrawi sovereignty in 1979. As a result, Morocco controlled the western Atlantic coastal areas, covering about 80% of the total land, while the Polisario Front controlled the eastern regions, covering about 20%. Around 200,000 refugees lived in the five refugee camps in Algeria.
The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was established in 1991, with intention to hold a referendum in 1993. Morocco argued that those who had blood ties or tribal links to the original inhabitants of Western Sahara should be eligible to vote, while the Polisario Front insisted only residents listed in the population census should be allowed to vote, making the referendum called off.
By 2025, the Security Council passed a resolution supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan, granting Western Sahara autonomy under its sovereignty, and establishing elected legislative, executive, and judicial institutions. Morocco, in turn, would handle defense, foreign affairs, and religious affairs. The Polisario Front refused to participate in any proposals that would legitimize Morocco’s military occupation. Will the Berm fall down due to this resolution?
In 2026, over 72,000 illegal migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco (another one is Melilla), resulting in approximately 100 deaths. Morocco authorities blamed the online disinformation creating an illusion of entering Europe without legal consequences. This border crisis even led to a dispute between Spain and Italy over the border control measures.
留言