Amgala

Amgala
Amgala

Location in Western Sahara

Coordinates: 26°16′45″N 11°7′59″W / 26.27917°N 11.13306°W
Country Western Sahara
Claimed by Morocco Kingdom of Morocco,
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Controlled by Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Amgala is an oasis in Western Sahara. It is located between Tifariti and Smara, outside the Moroccan Wall in the area controlled by the Polisario.[1][2]

Western Sahara War

Amgala was the scene of several SPLA-RMA battles. In January 1976 and again in February 1976, clashes took place in Amgala between units of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (RMA) and Polisario Front forces (SPLA), supported by units of the Algerian Army.[3] Morocco took several Algerian soldiers as prisoners, and both sides took hundreds of casualties.[4] Algeria claimed that their forces were only in the area to render humanitarian assistance to Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan occupation and heading for the Sahrawi refugee camps at Tindouf, in western Algeria.[5] Morocco said the conflict was a direct military intervention by Algeria on the side of Polisario. Another Battle of Amgala took place on 8 November 1989.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Map of the United Nations in pdf which shows the location of Amgala
  2. ↑ International Crisis Group, Western Sahara: the Cost of the Conflict, rapport 65, 11 juin 2007, page 6
  3. ↑ Hollowell, Thomas (15 June 2009). Allah's Garden. Allah's Garden: A True Story. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-9641423-9-8. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "article". Newsweek. 1976. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Africa research bulletin: Political, social, and cultural series. Blackwell. 1976. p. 3943. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Africa Research, Ltd (1995). Africa contemporary record: annual survey and documents. Africana Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0-8419-0560-3. Retrieved 22 July 2012.