Western Sahara

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Internationally known as Western Sahara, this region is a disputed territory and a partially recognized de facto state known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية), or the República Árabe Saharaui Democrática. The area of Western Sahara is, in fact, mostly controlled by Morocco, with only the easternmost one-fifth of the territory actually falling under control of the self-proclaimed SADR. Officially declared by the Polisario Front on 27 February, 1976, the government of the SADR considers all territory under control of Morocco to be occupied, while Morocco itself refers to these lands as its Southern Territories. Historically, this region fell under the control of Spain, when it was known as Spanish Sahara. The SADR is a full member of the African Union, maintains diplomatic relations with forty UN states, and has a reasonably well-organized military force under the control of the Polisario Front (Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro, or الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير ساقية الحمراء و وادي الذهب).

The Armed Forces of the Polisario are the Ejército de Liberación Popular Saharaui (ELPS), or the Sarawi People's Liberation Army (SPLA), a ground force consisting of between 6,000 and 8,000 personnel, with auxiliary forces available in times of crisis.

Camouflage in use with the ELPS

• The Polisario/ELPS have historically received a substantial amount of military and logistical assistance from neighboring Algeria, including a large quantity of woodland-type camouflage uniforms.

• As far back as 2018, some members of the armed forces began appearing in a lizard camouflage pattern of undetermined origins.