Art Moves Africa – Retracing Roots and Tracing New Routes: Mobility and Touring in North Africa
A study by Lara Bourdin for Art Moves Africa, October 2019
A study by Lara Bourdin for Art Moves Africa, October 2019
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91<br />
Country-Specific Information<br />
—<br />
GENERAL INFORMATION<br />
—<br />
The area known by the term “Western Sahara”<br />
is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>. It is divided <strong>in</strong>to two regions: the majority<br />
(roughly 80%) of the territory is under Moroccan<br />
control, whereas a small portion is adm<strong>in</strong>istered<br />
as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),<br />
with a government <strong>in</strong> exile <strong>in</strong> T<strong>in</strong>douf, Algeria.<br />
Morocco has built a 2,700 km wall to del<strong>in</strong>eate<br />
the two zones, which it cont<strong>in</strong>ues to guard <strong>and</strong><br />
monitor with military bases, artillery posts <strong>and</strong><br />
radars scann<strong>in</strong>g the SADR side. The wall is l<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
with l<strong>and</strong>m<strong>in</strong>es. Western Sahara is on the United<br />
Nations’ list of “non-self-govern<strong>in</strong>g territories;”<br />
it is the most populous territory on the list. The<br />
SADR has been a member of the <strong>Africa</strong>n Union<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce 1984, a fact that pushed Morocco to withdraw<br />
its membership (before rejo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 2017).<br />
Western Sahara was orig<strong>in</strong>ally <strong>in</strong>habited<br />
by Amazigh tribes, which were later jo<strong>in</strong>ed by<br />
Serer from the south. After the arrival of Islam,<br />
the l<strong>and</strong> became the site of important caravan<br />
routes, especially between Marrakech <strong>and</strong><br />
Timbuktu. Spa<strong>in</strong> seized control of the area <strong>in</strong><br />
1884, establish<strong>in</strong>g it as a Spanish colony. At<br />
the outbreak of the Second World War <strong>in</strong> 1939,<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istration was shifted <strong>in</strong>to the h<strong>and</strong>s of<br />
Spanish Morocco.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce Spa<strong>in</strong> withdrew its troops <strong>in</strong> 1975,<br />
the area has been at the centre of disputes<br />
between Morocco <strong>and</strong> the Sahrawi Polisario<br />
Front. Morocco annexed roughly two-thirds of<br />
the territory <strong>in</strong> 1976 <strong>and</strong> the rest <strong>in</strong> 1979, follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mauritania’s withdrawal. The Western<br />
Sahara War, oppos<strong>in</strong>g Morocco <strong>and</strong> the Sahrawi<br />
Polisario Front, lasted until a UN-brokered<br />
cease-fire <strong>in</strong> 1991. A proposed referendum over<br />
sovereignty was planned but has never taken<br />
place. Algeria has backed the Polisario front<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, an issue that is at the heart<br />
of present-day diplomatic tensions between<br />
Morocco <strong>and</strong> Algeria. The conflict has resulted<br />
<strong>in</strong> severe human rights abuses, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
displacement of tens of thous<strong>and</strong>s of Sahrawi<br />
—<br />
QUOTE:<br />
« There are a bunch<br />
of local cultural festivals<br />
that happen with<strong>in</strong> the<br />
camps <strong>and</strong> that move<br />
from camp to camp.<br />
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g happens on<br />
Algerian soil, aside<br />
from <strong>Art</strong>ifariti which<br />
happens <strong>in</strong> 2 places <strong>–</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
the camps <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
Tifariti. International<br />
artists come <strong>and</strong> spend<br />
2 weeks <strong>in</strong> Tifariti. »<br />
Mohamed Sulaiman<br />
Photographer <strong>and</strong> visual<br />
artist, Motif arts studio,<br />
Samara refugee camp,<br />
T<strong>in</strong>douf<br />
—<br />
civilians <strong>and</strong> the death of thous<strong>and</strong>s of civilians<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the war years. Morocco has been criticized<br />
by Amnesty International, Human Rights<br />
Watch <strong>and</strong> a vast number of other <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
organizations for ongo<strong>in</strong>g human rights abuses<br />
<strong>and</strong> violent crackdowns on pro-<strong>in</strong>dependence<br />
demonstrations. Freedom House rates Western<br />
Sahara as “not free”, with a score of 4 / 100 <strong>in</strong><br />
2018.<br />
—<br />
ARTS AND CULTURE<br />
—<br />
<strong>Art</strong>s <strong>and</strong> culture <strong>in</strong> Western Sahara centre on<br />
two major annual events, namely the FiSahara<br />
International Film Festival <strong>and</strong> ARTifariti Festival<br />
of <strong>Art</strong>s <strong>and</strong> Human Rights. FiSahara takes place<br />
<strong>in</strong> the refugee camps around T<strong>in</strong>douf, Algeria,<br />
while ARTifariti is spread between the camps<br />
<strong>and</strong> Tifariti, which sits <strong>in</strong> the Liberated Zone.<br />
Both events centre on art as a medium for expression<br />
of the struggle for human rights. Both<br />
events draw <strong>in</strong>ternational visitors, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
visitors from across <strong>Africa</strong>.<br />
Cultural expression also thrives year-round<br />
thanks to small artists’-run studios <strong>in</strong> T<strong>in</strong>douf<br />
<strong>and</strong> across the border. There are also<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g opportunities, for example through<br />
the Abid<strong>in</strong> Kaid Saleh Audiovisual School.<br />
Meanwhile, Morocco has been <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
culturally <strong>in</strong> the territory it occupies, promot<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for example the city of Dakhla as a<br />
touristic <strong>and</strong> cultural dest<strong>in</strong>ation with events<br />
such as the <strong>Africa</strong>n Fashion Festival.