Mauritania's Role in the Sahara, 1976 to 1979

Mauritania Takes the South

The Madrid Accords of November 1975 gave Mauritania administration of the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara, the region around Tiris al-Gharbiyya, while Morocco took the northern two-thirds.

Nouakchott formalized its position in 1976, integrating the southern zone. For a young and lightly resourced state, however, holding the territory soon proved an enormous burden.

The Strain of War

Mauritania quickly became a target of Polisario operations, which struck deep into Mauritanian territory, including raids on the capital region and the vital iron-ore railway. The war strained the country's economy and military beyond its capacity.

Political instability followed. The pressures of the conflict contributed to a military coup that toppled Mauritania's government, after which the new authorities sought a way out of the war.

Withdrawal in 1979

In August 1979 Mauritania signed an agreement with the Polisario in Algiers, renouncing its claim to the southern territory and withdrawing from the conflict. This ended its three-year involvement.

The Mauritanian withdrawal left the southern zone open. Morocco moved to take up administration of the area that Mauritania had vacated, extending its presence over the full territory.

Consequences for the Dispute

Mauritania's exit reshaped the conflict into one centered on Morocco and the Polisario, with Algeria as the key external supporter of the Front. The tripartite structure of 1975 was gone.

Mauritania subsequently adopted a posture of neutrality on the dispute, no longer a claimant but a neighbor with a direct interest in regional stability and a resolution of the question.

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