Madrid Accords facts for kids
The Madrid Accords, also known as the Declaration of Principles on Western Sahara, was an important agreement signed by Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania. This agreement set out six main ideas for how Spain would leave the area called Spanish Sahara. It also planned for a temporary government to run the area until people could vote on their future.
Spanish Sahara used to be a Spanish province and a former colony. The agreement was signed in Madrid on November 14, 1975. This was just six days before Franco, Spain's leader, passed away. The agreement was never officially published in Spain's government newspaper. It also went against a law passed by the Spanish Parliament on November 18 about decolonizing the Sahara.
Under the Madrid Accords, the land would be split between Morocco and Mauritania. The Polisario Front, a group fighting for the independence of the Sahrawi people, and the Sahrawi people themselves, were not given a role. After the accords, the Polisario Front moved from the Mauritanian border to Algeria.
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Why the Agreement Happened
The future of Spanish Sahara had been debated for many years. Both Morocco and Mauritania wanted to take over the entire area. Spain, on the other hand, tried to create a system where the area would govern itself. They also wanted to set up a pro-Spanish independent state for the Sahrawi people.
At the same time, an independent group of local Sahrawis called the Polisario Front wanted independence. They fought for it using guerrilla warfare, which is a type of fighting where small groups use surprise attacks. Since 1963, the United Nations had seen the area as a colony. They demanded that the people there should have the right to decide their own future, a process called self-determination.
What Each Country Wanted
The Madrid Accords came after an event called the Green March. This was a huge demonstration on November 6, 1975. About 350,000 Moroccans marched, called by King Hassan II. This march was meant to put pressure on Spain.
Morocco had been saying since 1956 that the territory was historically part of Morocco. After Morocco became independent, its army fought Spanish troops in the area. They managed to free most of the territory. However, Spain regained full control in 1958 with help from France. Morocco kept demanding the territory in the 1960s. These demands grew stronger in the early 1970s as it became clear that colonialism (when one country controls another) was ending.
Some historians believe that the Green March and the heated discussions between Spain and Morocco convinced Spain that Morocco was ready to go to war over the territory. A U.S. intelligence report in October 1975 also suggested this. Spain's leader, Francisco Franco, was dying at the time. He fell into a coma and died on November 20. The Spanish government wanted to avoid a conflict. So, they decided to divide the territory. This way, Spain could keep some influence and economic benefits.
President Moktar Ould Daddah of Mauritania had also claimed the territory as part of "Greater Mauritania" even before his country became independent. Some people think Mauritania's claims were to keep Morocco's border further away from its own. However, Morocco had historically claimed a "Greater Morocco" that included Spanish Sahara and Mauritania. Morocco dropped its claim on Mauritania in 1969.
What the Agreement Said
The Madrid Accords had several important points. Spain agreed to end its control over the Sahara and leave the area by February 28, 1976. During this time, the Spanish governor would manage the territory. He would be helped by two deputy governors, one from Morocco and one from Mauritania. They were supposed to respect the wishes of the Sahrawi people.
The agreement also dealt with the Bu Craa phosphate mine. Spain would keep 35% of the shares in the company that owned the mine, Fosbucraa. Morocco would get 65% of the shares, and some of that would likely go to Mauritania. There were also secret agreements. These likely gave Spain rights to fish in the area. They also probably delayed Morocco's demands for other Spanish territories, called presidios. Spain also likely received money for its citizens who moved back home.
A 1990 study by the United States Library of Congress on Mauritania stated that both Morocco and Mauritania agreed to follow the decision of the International Court of Justice in early 1975. This court was supposed to decide the status of Spanish Sahara. However, when the court ruled in October 1975 that neither country had the right to claim the territory, both governments ignored the decision. In November 1975, they signed the Madrid Accords with Spain. Under this agreement, Morocco got the northern two-thirds of the territory. Mauritania received the southern third. The agreement also said that Spain would keep shares in the Bu Craa mining business. Mauritania agreed to this because it likely believed that Morocco, with its stronger military, would have taken over the entire territory anyway.
What Happened Next
Algeria and the Polisario Front strongly opposed the agreement. They still wanted independence for the territory. Algeria sent a high-level group to Madrid to try and stop Spain from signing the Accords. By early 1975, Algeria began supporting the Polisario Front with military aid and diplomatic help. Algeria said it was against the Accords to uphold the UN charter and fight colonialism. However, many people believed Algeria's actions were also to reduce Morocco's influence and gain access to the Atlantic Ocean. A long-standing rivalry between the two countries also made relations tense.
The Algerian government, led by Houari Boumedienne, then broke ties with Morocco. It started giving weapons and a safe place in refuge to the Polisario fighters. Algeria also spoke out against the Accords internationally. Algeria expelled about 45,000 Moroccan citizens living there. It also started radio broadcasts supporting both the Polisario and, for a short time, a group wanting independence for the Canary Islands. This was likely an attempt to punish Spain.
Morocco and Mauritania divided the territory between them in the Western Sahara partition agreement. They moved in to claim their parts. This led to armed fights between their troops and the Polisario. The Polisario and Algeria saw the advance of Morocco and Mauritania as a foreign invasion. Morocco and Mauritania, however, saw the fight against the Polisario as a fight against a separatist group. Algeria sent troops deep into the territory to support the Polisario. But they eventually pulled back after the Amgala battle in 1976.
These clashes turned into a 17-year-long war. Mauritania was forced to leave the conflict in 1979, giving up all its claims to the region. As a result of the conflict, many people from the territory became refugees. The war finally ended with a ceasefire (when fighting stops) in 1991.
Today, the status of the territory, now called Western Sahara, is still disputed.
What the UN Thinks
The United Nations (UN) still considers Western Sahara a Non-Sovereign Territory. This means it's a territory that hasn't fully gained independence yet. The UN is waiting for it to be formally decolonized. The UN knows that Morocco currently manages much of the territory in practice. However, neither the UN General Assembly nor any other UN group has ever said that Morocco officially owns the land.
In 2002, Hans Corell, a legal expert for the UN, wrote a letter. He gave his opinion on whether it was legal for Morocco to sign contracts to explore for minerals in Western Sahara. He stated:
On November 14, 1975, a Declaration of Principles on Western Sahara (the "Madrid Agreement") was made between Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania. This agreement transferred Spain's powers and duties as the managing country of the Territory to a temporary three-party administration. The Madrid Agreement did not transfer ownership of the Territory. It also did not give any of the signers the status of a managing country, a status that Spain alone could not have given away by itself. The transfer of administrative power over the Territory to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975 did not change Western Sahara's international status as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.
On February 26, 1976, Spain told the Secretary-General that it had ended its presence in Western Sahara and given up its responsibilities over the Territory. This left the Territory under the control of both Morocco and Mauritania in their respective areas. After Mauritania left the Territory in 1979, Morocco has managed the Territory of Western Sahara alone. However, Morocco is not listed as the managing country of the Territory in the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. Therefore, it has not provided information on the Territory as required by the UN Charter.
Morocco continues to claim Western Sahara as part of its own land. It uses the Madrid Accords as one reason for this. The Polisario Front declared a government-in-exile in 1976, based in Algeria. This government is called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The SADR says the Madrid Accords were not valid. It claims the entire area, but actually controls only small, uninhabited parts. The UN does not recognize the SADR. However, the SADR has been accepted as Western Sahara's representative in the African Union (AU). Its ruling party, the Polisario Front, is recognized by the UN as the "sole legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people." Mauritania has completely left the conflict since 1979.
Morocco broke the treaty, which led to the 2020 Western Sahara clashes.
Main Points of the Madrid Accords
Here are the main points of the Madrid Accords, as they were published:
On November 14, 1975, representatives from Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania met in Madrid and agreed on these principles:
- Spain confirmed its promise to the United Nations to end its control over Western Sahara.
- Spain would immediately set up a temporary government in the Territory. Morocco and Mauritania would be part of this government, working with the local assembly (the Djemaa). All of Spain's responsibilities would be transferred to this new government. Two Deputy Governors, chosen by Morocco and Mauritania, would help the Governor-General. Spain's presence in the Territory would end by February 28, 1976, at the latest.
- The opinions of the Saharan people, shared through the Djemaa, would be respected.
- The three countries would inform the United Nations Secretary-General about these agreements.
- The three countries stated they reached these agreements in a spirit of understanding and friendship. They respected the principles of the United Nations Charter. They believed this was the best way to help keep international peace and security.
- This agreement would become official when the 'Sahara Decolonization Act' was published in Spain's official government newspaper. This act would allow the Spanish Government to agree to the commitments in this document.
This declaration was signed by Carlos Arias Navarro for Spain, Ahmed Osman for Morocco, and Hamdi Ould Mouknass for Mauritania.
