Summary

Western Sahara has expressed its support for banning cluster munitions, but cannot accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions due to its political status. Western Sahara provided a voluntary transparency report for the convention in 2014, which states that it has never produced cluster munitions and does not possess any stocks.

Policy

Western Sahara’s lack of official representation at the United Nations (UN) prevents it from joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Western Sahara’s sovereignty is the subject of a long-standing dispute between the government of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguía el Hamra and Río de Oro (Polisario).

Polisario’s Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) provided the UN with a voluntary Article 7 transparency measures report for the convention in 2014, which declares that “SADR would like to reaffirm its commitment to a total ban on cluster munitions as well as its willingness to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and be bound by its provisions.”[1] Before that, Polisario Front representatives expressed support on several occasions for the prohibition on cluster munitions.[2]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In 2014, the SADR declared that it has never produced cluster munitions and possesses no stocks.[3] Previously, in 2012, Polisario told the Monitor that it did not possess cluster munitions and has never used them.[4]

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces used artillery-fired and air-dropped cluster munitions against Polisario in Western Sahara during their conflict from 1975 to 1991. SADR has reported that Royal Moroccan Armed Forces used air-dropped BLU-63 and MK-118 Rockeye, and surface-fired M-42 cluster munitions at multiple locations in Dougaj, Mijek, Bir Lahlu, North Wadis, and Mehariz.[5]