ROADTRIPS

Western Sahara: Still life

Algeria | Tuesday, August 10, 2010 | 5 photos

Western or Spanish Sahara, north Africa, is the native home of the Sahrawi people invaded in 1975 by the Kingdom of Morocco. Foreced to live in refugee camps near the desert of the Tindouf area in Algeria, and without the possibility to build any industry, Sahrawi people grow up in the sand hoping to go back to their territory someday.

Before the invasion, this country used to be a part of Spain, creating a strong link between this two cultures and building the only spanish speaking arabic country in the world. All the survival of these people depends on the international help that comes mostly from Spain´s civil society.

Everyday life in the camps goes from building adobe homes to play in bullets dump camps. Western Sahara has stopped the fire since 1991 with Morocco, actually living in a cold war state. As they try to keep their traditions, they live the still life.