WESTERN SAHARA, AFRICA'S LAST COLONY
WESTERN SAHARA, AFRICA'S LAST COLONY
The past and present of a forgotten conflict
Andreas Pfeifer in conversation with Paul Huemer
Western Sahara is considered Africa's last colony. For almost 30 years, a fragile ceasefire prevailed in the middle of the desert between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Western Saharan liberation movement „Frente Polisario“. But since mid-November, events have come thick and fast. Following the resumption of fighting and the end of the ceasefire, outgoing US President Donald Trump has recognised Morocco's territorial claims to Western Sahara.
At the same time, there is a lack of food, medicine and, above all, prospects in the refugee camps run by the Polisario. But how did it get this far in the first place? What is behind Donald Trump's announcements? How do Austria and the European Union benefit from the situation in Western Sahara? And how close are we to the start of a full-blown war?
Journalist Paul Huemer has travelled around the refugee camps and the occupied areas of the desert in search of answers to these questions. Together we want to take a look at this forgotten conflict.
Paul Huemer is a freelance journalist and works for the foreign desk of the news programme Zeit im Bild. As a reporter, he reports from various countries in the Middle East. His last trip took him to the refugee camps and liberated areas of the Western Sahrawi liberation movement „Frente Polisario“
Andreas Pfeifer is head of the foreign policy department in the current affairs service of ORF television
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