War then pits Polisario against Morocco and Mauritania. People flee to Algeria’s Tindouf region; the camps become a lasting place of exile and the movement’s political centre. Proclamation does not mean universal recognition or UN membership. The SADR will nevertheless obtain bilateral recognitions and membership of the African organisation.
Morocco views its action as completing its territorial integrity; Polisario fights it in pursuit of independence. Algeria’s support strengthens the conflict’s regional dimension. No overall death toll for the war is asserted here because a broadly accepted independent series is unavailable.