Overview
The Moroccan Western Sahara Wall, often referred to as the "Berm," is a monumental and highly contested structure stretching approximately 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) across the Western Sahara. Erected by Morocco starting in 1981, it's primarily a sand barrier fortified with military outposts, minefields, and electronic surveillance systems. Its primary purpose is to defend Moroccan-controlled territory against incursions by the Polisario Front, the independence movement seeking self-determination for the Sahrawi people. This wall is not merely a physical barrier but a potent symbol of the ongoing conflict and the de facto partition of the region, a situation that has persisted for decades. The construction of the wall was a strategic response by Morocco following its annexation of Western Sahara in 1975. The conflict escalated, and the Berm became a critical component of Morocco's strategy to consolidate its control over the resource-rich western parts of the territory, including the Atlantic coastline. The wall effectively created two distinct zones: the Moroccan-controlled "Yellow Zone" to the west and the Polisario-controlled "Red Zone" to the east. This division has profoundly impacted the lives of Sahrawi people, many of whom have been displaced or live in refugee camps for generations, particularly in Tindouf, Algeria. The wall's existence is a constant reminder of the unresolved political status of Western Sahara, a territory with significant phosphate deposits and potential offshore oil reserves.