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We stopped briefly in Layoune to do some food shopping, this is Western Saharas capital, from there we camped out near a beach and had guy with a gun came by to tell us we are camping in land mine area so everyone was a bit careful going to the toilet that night, it was also Di and Tonys 5th Anniversary so we celebrated a bit. Next day we stopped at Boujdour to do some more food shopping, Dave and me finished up our last dirhams by buying bananas and oranges; moving on we found an excellent camp site near the city of Dakhla in the sand dunes, this is our last night in the disputed territory of Western Sahara; there really is nothing fancy about this place just mostly desert and the occasional smell of stinking fish from fish factories that dot the shores, fantastic scenery though, a wild contrast of desert and raging seas. Anyway back at the sand dunes camp everyone went crazy climbing up the dunes, quite a hard work but well worth the effort spectacular scenery. Early start for us as we try and make it to the Mauritanian border before it closes for lunch.


WIKI INFO


WESTERN SAHARA


Western Sahara; Spanish: Sahara Occidental) is a territory of northwestern Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. The largest city is El Aaiún (Laâyoune), which is home to over half of the population of the territory.

Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since the 1960s when it was a Spanish colony.

The Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement (and government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic or SADR) dispute control of the territory. Since a United Nations-sponsored cease-fire agreement in 1991, most of the territory has been controlled by Morocco, with the remainder under the control of Polisario/SADR. Internationally, the major powers such as the United States have taken a generally ambiguous and neutral position on each side's claims, and have pressed both parties to agree on a peaceful resolution. Both Morocco and Polisario have sought to boost their claims by accumulating formal recognition, from largely minor states. Polisario has won formal recognition for SADR from roughly 45 states, and was extended membership in the African Union, while Morocco has won formal recognition for its position from 25 states, as well as the membership of the Arab League. In both instances, recognitions have over the past two decades been extended and withdrawn according to changing international trends.

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