Living in the Sahara

Directed by Yves Billon

This documentary goes back to the origins of the conflict in Western Sahara. The reasons for the Moroccan occupation of this vast territory are economic: the region has mineral (phosphate, uranium, iron) and fishing resources. Spain occupied part of the territory from the end of the 19th century until the 20th century, with the support of France. The Sahrawi people have always fought against colonists; the Polisario Front was created in 1973 with the purpose of fighting Spanish occupation. The Sahrawi cause is supported by Algeria, which recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976, and Libya in 1980. We see the social organisation of the Saharawis, an originally nomadic people. The film ends by posing a question: What are the prospects for resolving the conflict?