The Celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Sahrawi Declaration of Independence
took place in Tifariti, Western Sahara, on the 27th of February 2011.
After watching approximately 5000 soldiers marching past our VIP podium, we had much fuel for thought. The irony of watching a military parade while working for the Peace Corps is one thing, the fact that we are watching an army eager to go to war is quite another.The military is important in Western Sahara. Not only do they represent a real opposition to Morocco, but they are also a source of pride and hope. From our students, we hear that war is a good option. A class discussion revealed that the idea of losing a potential war is virtually nonexistent. Of course the POLISARIO will win. This notion is indeed important in order to maintain and strengthen the Sahrawi unity and national spirit, but whether it is realistic or not is difficult to say.
In terms of military strength, it is hard to determine how hard the POLISARIO Front can strike. From our point of view (lacking political and military insight) the army appears somewhat old fashioned. The parade displayed only foot soldiers with AK-47’s, and no vehicles or military machinery of any kind. There is little doubt that the POLISARIO forces know well how to fight in the desert conditions, but they are likely to be greatly outnumbered in battle. We were left with the feeling that if this army was to attack Morocco, a great number of the men and women passing in front of us would die.
The POLISARIO is good at organizing their highly competent armed forces. However, they are even better at organizing and managing their land. The events in Tifariti, despite being organized mostly for foreign guests and not the average Sahrawi, convincingly displayed POLISARIO (and the Sahrawis) as a transparent body fully capable of ruling a country responsibly. Let us hope these abilities will be used in the near future, and not the abilities of those marching in green uniforms.
No comments:
Post a Comment