Battles of La Güera and Tichla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battles of La Güera and Tichla |
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| Part of the Western Sahara War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mauritania Morocco |
 Polisario Front |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Mohamed Ould Bah Ould Abdelkader |
Mohamed Uld Emhamed Mohamed Salek Uld Buceif |
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| Strength | |||||||||
1,000 Unknown |
100–800 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 20 killed 36 wounded (Mauritanian-Moroccan claim) |
96 killed 103 captured (Mauritanian-Moroccan claim) |
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| 200 killed | |||||||||
The Battles of La Güera and Tichla were important fights that happened in December 1975. The Mauritanian Army moved into the southern part of Western Sahara. This area was supposed to become part of Mauritania, as agreed in the Madrid Accords.
However, fighters from the Polisario Front were already there. These were small groups of local fighters, also known as guerrillas. They fought against the Mauritanian troops. Because of this, the Royal Moroccan Army had to step in to help Mauritania. By the end of 1975, Mauritania had taken control of the southern half of what used to be a Spanish colony called Río de Oro.
Contents
Why the Battles Happened
Before the battles, the Spanish government had started to leave La Güera. This was part of a bigger plan called "Operation Swallow." By November 1975, most Spanish people had left the town.
Soon after, the Polisario Front took over La Güera. Their fighters raised their flags on the main buildings. They set up their own local government. The town then became cut off from outside help by air, sea, and land.
The Battles Begin
On December 20, 1975, Mauritanian troops began their advance. At that time, Mauritania had a small army of only about 2,000 soldiers. They asked Morocco and France for military supplies and help.
The Mauritanian soldiers tried to take La Güera. They came from nearby cities like Nouadhibou and Nouakchott. But the Sahrawi fighters from the Polisario Front started shooting. The Mauritanian troops were forced to retreat in a messy way.
Fighting in La Güera
Because the situation was serious, Colonel Mohamed Ould Ba Ould Abdelkader was put in charge. His job was to capture La Güera. The Sahrawi fighters, led by Buzeid Uld Hmayen, had about one hundred soldiers. They were in a very difficult spot because they were surrounded. They had no way to escape by land, sea, or air.
The Sahrawi fighters tried to slow down the Mauritanian advance. They held out in the buildings of the Territorial Police Headquarters. From there, they fought back against the Mauritanian attacks. They used light weapons to stop the continuous attempts to take their position.
The fighting for La Güera lasted for about ten days. The Sahrawis fought very bravely. In the end, the few remaining survivors had to give up. It is thought that about 80 of the hundred Sahrawi soldiers died, including their commander, Ould Hmayen.
Tichla Falls
While the fighting was happening in La Güera, Mauritanian troops also captured Tichla. This happened on December 20, the same day the Mauritanian advance began.
Another town, El Argoub, which was near Villa Cisneros, was also attacked. It was surrounded for two weeks. Finally, El Argoub was captured by Mauritanian forces on January 11, 1976.
What Happened Next
After the battles, the few Sahrawi soldiers who survived in El Argoub were moved. They went to the border between the Sahara and Mauritania. From there, the Algerian Army helped them with supplies and moved them to Algeria.
After these battles, some disagreements started between Moroccan and Mauritanian troops. These disagreements eventually led to fights between them. One of the first of these clashes was the First Battle of Amgala in 1976.
See also
In Spanish: Batallas de La Güera y Tichla para niños
