The former colony of Spanish Sahara saw frequent outbursts of tribal and
ethnic rebellions while ruled by the colonial authorities in the late
19th and through the early 20th Century. Its vastness and distances
essentially dictated the application of air power in response. While
most of these events attracted next to no attention in English-language
media, the large-scale operations of the Spanish colonial authorities of
the late 1950s became notable at least for the final combat deployment
of the famous Messerschmitt Bf.109.
Following the Spanish withdrawal from Spanish Sahara in 1975, a major
war erupted as Sahrawi nationalists - organized by the POLISARIO front -
engaged in guerrilla warfare against Moroccan armed forces deployed to
secure the northern part of the country, and Mauritanian forces deployed
in the south.
Characteristically for this period, POLISARIO's insurgency was often
misinterpreted in the West as 'Soviet-influenced', although the rebels
never adapted any related frameworks for their operations and tactics,
such as those of Mao Zedong. On the contrary, while Algeria at least
tolerated their bases on its soil, it was Libya that provided most of
the support for the insurgency, eventually enabling it to defeat the
Mauritanian military, slightly over a year later. Combined with
POLISARIO's raids deep into Mauritania this prompted France to launch a
limited military intervention in support. While tactically successful,
this proved insufficient: Mauritania withdrew in 1979 after signing a
peace treaty.
Morocco continued fighting a series of bitter campaigns through 1979 and
1980, until rising costs and casualties prompted its government into
developing an entirely new strategy. Construction of extensive earthen
fortifications eventually slowed the war down to one of low intensity,
only sporadically interrupted by insurgent attempts to achieve at least
local successes. With both sides realizing that no solution through an
armed conflict was possible, a cease-fire agreement was signed in 1991.
However, this conflict still remains unresolved: it merely shifted to
civilian resistance.
Warfare in Western Sahara has in many ways become exemplary for
modern-day counter-insurgency efforts in Africa and elsewhere. This
conflict has been falsely declared as a part of some larger, external
conflict - the Cold War; in regards of the concept of an insurgency
applying motorized forces to deliver often spectacular 'hit-and-run'
attacks; and in regards of a conventional military reacting with a
combination of earth berms and air power.
Illustrated by over 100 photograph as, a dozen maps and 18 colour
profiles, Showdown in Western Sahara offers a fascinating study of the
military aspects of this conflict, warfare strategies, tactics and
experiences with different weapons systems.
