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31-687: It is also the name of a Daïra of the Wilaya of Smara , in the Sahrawi refugee camps . In 2010, the population of Tifariti was estimated at around 3,000 people. Tifariti is located between Smara , the traditional spiritual centre of the Sahara founded by Ma El Ainin (177 km (110 mi) away) and the Algerian town of Tindouf (320 km (200 mi) away), where the Sahrawi refugee camps are located. The government quarter of Tifariti houses

62-601: A presidential decree establishing the first Sahrawi university, named "University of Tifariti". The President of the SADR also appointed Khatari Ahmudi Abdallahi as the head of the new educational institution. Since 2009, Tifariti is the finish line of the "Sahara Bike Race", a 300 km (190 mi) route in parallel with the Moroccan Wall , that starts in the Wilaya of El Aaiún, in the Sahrawi refugee camps . Tifariti

93-720: A Sahrawi independence movement in Western Sahara with strong Arab socialist ideas which launched a few attacks against Spanish colonialism in the Spanish Sahara in 1973. Shortly after Spain relinquished control of the area to Mauritania and Morocco in the 1975 Madrid Accords , Polisario declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), leading to the Western Sahara War (1975–1991). From 1976 until his death, Abdelaziz

124-524: A mosque, in the framework of reconstruction and settlement of the Free Zone . On February 29, 2008, Abdelaziz launched the works of the building of the Mayoralty of Tifariti, a small dam to provide the local population with water and the cornerstone of a sports complex, funded by South Africa . On July 20, 2009, Salek Baba (SADR'S Minister of Reconstruction and Urbanization) visited Tifariti to assess

155-491: A rugged desert area, with little vegetation. Tifariti was the place of several battles during the Western Sahara War (1975–1991) and served as a military base and stronghold for both sides at various points of the war. It was also used as a stopping place for Sahrawi refugees en route to Tindouf ( Algeria ) during the invasion phase (1975–76). Some sources claim that in January 1976 there were 15,000 Sahrawi refugees around

186-673: Is twinned with: 26°09′29″N 10°34′01″W  /  26.158°N 10.567°W  / 26.158; -10.567 Da%C3%AFra A daïra or daerah ( Arabic : دائرة circle ; plural dawaïr ) is an administrative division in Algeria and Western Sahara in West Africa , as well as Brunei , Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia . It is commonly translated in English as " district ". "Daïra"

217-676: Is a type of state administrative divisions in Malaysia . It is the primary subdivision of the states in Peninsular Malaysia , where as in Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo , it is the secondary subdivision which is below divisions . Regardless, any daerah may be subdivided into mukims . Mohamed Abdelaziz (Sahrawi politician) Mohamed Abdelaziz ( Arabic : محمد عبد العزيز ; 17 August 1947 – 31 May 2016)

248-611: Is the primary spelling variant used in Algeria and Western Sahara. It is a subdivision of wilayah in both countries. "Daerah" is an Arabic loanword in Malay and Indonesian , which is cognate with "daïra". A daerah or district is the primary subdivision of Brunei . There are four daerah , namely Belait , Brunei-Muara , Temburong and Tutong . A daerah is subdivided into mukims (equivalent to subdistricts) and subsequently villages ( kampung ). In Indonesia , "daerah"

279-528: Is used as in the term daerah istimewa , which refers to the Special Regions or provinces with special status. There are two Special Regions ( Aceh and the Special Region of Yogyakarta ), and there are seven Special Autonomous Regions or Daerah Otonomi Khusus ( Central Papua , Highland Papua , Papua , South Papua , Southwest Papua , West Papua and Jakarta ). A daerah or district

310-667: The Parliament of the SADR , a hospital , a school , a mosque and a museum . Primarily an encampment located near an oasis, it was always a kind of seasonal town for the Sahrawis , a Bedouin people controlling the area since medieval times. In 1912, a French Foreign Legion expedition commanded by Captain Gerard, who was trying to link with their troops in Morocco, was exterminated by Sahrawi rebel nomads near Tifariti. Then, it

341-742: The Polisario Front held its XI General Popular Congress here, electing officials to its executive National Secretariat, the exile parliament of the Sahrawi National Council , as well as reelecting (92%) Mohamed Abdelaziz as Secretary General. In December 2007, with the presence of 250 international delegates, the XII General Popular Congress of the POLISARIO was held again in Tifariti. Abdelaziz

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372-648: The Royal Moroccan Air Force in August 1991, a few days before the proclamation of the cease-fire. A United Nations airstrip and a base for the MINURSO 's peace keeping forces is situated close to Tifariti. In April 1999, the Navarra Hospital was inaugurated. It was built up with the collaboration of solidarity associations from that Spanish autonomous community . In January 2001,

403-498: The "Declaration of Tifariti", with three principal aims: Since 2007, Tifariti has been the scenery of "ARTifariti" , an annual international encounter of artists from several countries. The art pieces are made in the town and remain there, in the museum of Tifariti or outdoors. On 27 February 2011 Tifariti hosted the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic . On

434-751: The 2012 edition, ARTifariti moved its activities to the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf , Algeria . Approximately 30 km (20 mi) to the northeast of Tifariti is the Erqueyez Archaeological Park . This archaeological site, without precedents in this area, provides an interesting lithic manufacturing works from the Late Paleolithic or Epipaleolithic , mound graves, and more than a hundred caves with rock paintings. On 9 February 2013, Sahara Press Service announced that Mohamed Abdelaziz had released on 23 December 2012

465-794: The OAU at its 21st summit, effectively signalling that the Sahrawi Republic would be a permanent OAU member despite the controversy. When the African Union (AU) replaced the OAU in 2001, Abdelaziz was elected as AU vice-president at its first summit. In December 2005, as leader of the Polisario Front, he received the Spanish Human Rights Association's "Human Rights International Prize". Abdelaziz died of lung cancer on 31 May 2016, aged 68, and

496-605: The Polisario. He lived in exile in the Sahrawi refugee camps in the Tindouf Province of western Algeria. According to some former members of Polisario now aligned with Morocco, Abdelaziz was "chosen" by Algeria at the top of the organization although he did not belong to the very closed circle of the organization's founders and "he always considered himself to be their man." Under Abdelaziz, Polisario continued its guerrilla war against Morocco and Mauritania, until

527-470: The armed struggle favored by many within the movement. The only supposedly opposition group is the Front Polisario Khat al-Shahid , which states that it wants to continue with militant attacks. Abdelaziz specifically denied the existence of such a group; he maintained that only the Polisario exists in the camps. Abdelaziz condemned terrorism, insisting the Polisario's guerrilla war is to be

558-623: The first brick of the Solidarity Neighbourhood district. On February 27, 2007 (31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) a borough of 150 houses named Solidarity Neighbourhood was inaugurated by SADR's president, Mohamed Abdelaziz. It was built with the help of the Andalusian provinces of Sevilla and Málaga . On December 21, 2007, Abdelaziz inaugurated

589-431: The latter's withdrawal in 1979 and the construction of the Moroccan Wall in 1980s. With the wall limiting attacks, Abdelaziz turned to diplomatic measures to secure SADR's future. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) seated Western Sahara for the first time in 1982, despite Morocco's vehement objections. This led to Morocco's withdrawal from the OAU two years later. In 1985, Abdelaziz was elected as Vice-President of

620-611: The patients and equipment of the hospital were evacuated, because of the threat of a restarting of the war. Finally, in February 2006, the hospital was re-opened. On May 21, 2005, and during the celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the creation of the Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz (President of the SADR ) put the first brick of the building that will host the Sahrawi Parliament, the Sahrawi National Council , and also

651-474: The proclamation of the ceasefire, the Royal Moroccan Air Force repeatedly bombed Tifariti, destroying the buildings and the wells, as well as killing dozens of civilians. Hospitals and administrative buildings were built here between 1989 and 1991 by foreign aid agencies in preparation for a Sahrawi refugee return to Western Sahara, for the holding of a UN-backed referendum on either independence or integration with Morocco. That infrastructures were destroyed by

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682-512: The second by Mohammed VI in 2002. His brother is Mohamed Lahbib Rguibi, lawyer of many Sahrawi human rights activists such as Aminatou Haidar or Naama Asfari, and former " disappeared " in Moroccan prisons between 1976 and 1991. As a student in the Mohammed V University of Rabat, he gravitated towards Sahrawi nationalism, and became one of the founding members of the Polisario Front ,

713-679: The town. The village was briefly occupied by the Moroccan Army in February 1976, but 2 months later it retreated, being reoccupied by the SPLA in March 1977. In the summer of 1977, Moroccan troops controlled the town once more, this time for nearly two years. In March 1979, and after the Battle of Tifariti , the town was taken by the Polisario troops, the SPLA , During the 1980s, the Moroccan Wall

744-495: The works of the "Tadamoun" and "Salam" neighbourhoods and a mini-desalination plant. On October 30, 2009, Abdelkader Taleb Omar (Prime minister of the SADR) inaugurated a new district of 20 houses. He stated: "The opening of these new residences is a portion of a large project of development in progress, includes other parts of the liberated territory of Meharrize , Bir Tighissit, Bir Lehlu , Mijek and Agounit ". In October 2003,

775-478: Was Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, replacing Mahfoud Ali Beiba , who had taken the post as interim Secretary-General after El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed was killed in action in Mauritania. Abdelaziz was also the first president of the SADR from August 1982, after a change made in the constitution by the fifth general congress of the Polisario, deciding the post were to be held by the secretary-general of

806-594: Was buried in the Free Zone town of Bir Lehlou . Abdelaziz was considered a secular nationalist and steered the Polisario and the Sahrawi republic towards political compromise, notably in backing the United Nations ' Baker Plan in 2003. There was some criticism against Abdelaziz from within the Polisario for preventing reforms inside the movement, and for insisting on a diplomatic course which had gained few concessions from Morocco, rather than re-launching

837-586: Was constructed north of Tifariti, and the terrain around the town was heavily mined . The risk was greatest east of the Berm, especially in the areas of Mehaires, Tifariti and Bir Lahlou where the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) conducted offensive operations in August–September 1991. The dangerous result is, among others, scattered cluster bombs, still active in these areas. In August 1991, weeks before

868-462: Was permanently settled and used by the Spanish authorities as an advanced desert military outpost. Now in reconstruction, it is estimated that Tifariti had a population of approximately 7,000 inhabitants in 1975. Its inhabitants largely abandoned the town in 1976 because of the war with Morocco. Tifariti never had many fixed structures, due to the pastoral lifestyle of the Sahrawis . It is located in

899-554: Was reelected again (85%), although he proposed to regulate alternation in the leadership of the Polisario Front. Also, the members of the National Secretariat were elected. Between 2010 and 2012, Larabas Said Jumani (a former minister of the SADR ) was the first mayor of Tifariti. He was replaced in 2012 by Mohammed Salem Dayah. In February 2009, the town hosted the "International Conference on Urbanization and Reconstruction of Liberated Areas". The participants signed

930-538: Was the 3rd Secretary General of the Polisario Front , from 1976, and the 1st President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic from 1982, until his death in 2016. Mohamed Abdelaziz ben Khalili ben Mohamed al-Bachir Er-Rguibi was born in Marrakesh or in Smara into a Sahrawi family of an eastern Reguibat subtribe, migrating between Western Sahara , Mauritania , western Algeria and southern Morocco. He

961-658: Was the son of Khalili Ben Mohamed Al-Bachir Rguibi , who was a member of the Moroccan Liberation Army and the Royal Moroccan Army . Abdelaziz's father lived in Morocco with a part of his family and was a member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs . His father held two transport licences in Morocco for buses serving Rabat – Casablanca – Essaouira . The first license was given to him by Hassan II in 1983 and

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