MINURSO Deployment

Map showing the locations of MINURSO bases in Western Sahara. It appears that the spray-painted graffiti at Lajuad (see "Graffiti Locations" image" was created by MINURSO personnel from Agwanit.

Note also that on this map the Moroccan wall or "berm" is shown as cutting through Mauritanian territory. This is unusual - on most maps, including those produced by the UN, the berm is shown as contained within the territorial limits of Western Sahara, presumably so as not to embarrass either the Mauritanians or Moroccans.

Morocco often refers to the the Polisario-controlled areas of Western Sahara, to the south and east of the Berm, as the "demilitarized zone" or "buffer zone". This map shows the official "restricted area" which extends for some km either side of the berm, which represents the de facto ceasefire line. As the berm is manned by some 160,000 Moroccan troops, and the Polisario areas house several thousand Polisario fighters (according to various estimates), it doesn't make a lot of sense to talk about demilitarized zones. MINURSO does monitor military activity in Western Sahara, and the conditions of the ceasefire are meant to restrict military activity on the part of both Morocco and the Polisario, but both sides keep their military forces prepared for any future conflict, and maintain military presences in their respective zones.