Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR / Spanish: República Árabe Saharaui Democrática; Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية‎ al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah aṣ-Ṣaḥrāwīyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭīyah) is a partially recognized de facto sovereign state located in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory. Until 1976, Western Sahara was known as Spanish Sahara, a Spanish colony (later an overseas province). The SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front (a former socialist liberation force which has since reformed its ideological and political views) on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlou, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about 20–25% of the territory it claims. It calls the territories under its control the Liberated Territories or the Free Zone. Morocco controls and administers the rest of the disputed territory and calls these lands its Southern Provinces. The SADR government considers the Moroccan-held territory to be occupied territory, while Morocco considers the much smaller SADR-held territory to be a buffer zone. The claimed capital of the SADR is former Western Sahara capital El-Aaiún, while the temporary capital moved from Bir Lehlou to Tifariti in 2008. 

The SADR maintains diplomatic relations with 40 UN states, and is a full member of the African Union. The name Sahrawi derives from the romanization of the Arabic word Ṣaḥrāwī صحراوي, meaning "Inhabitant of the Desert". The word Ṣaḥrāwī صحراوي then is derived from the Arabic word Ṣaḥrā' (صحراء), meaning desert. Following the Spanish evacuation, consequence of the Moroccan Green March, Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania signed the Madrid Accords on November 14, 1975, six days before Franco passed away, leading to both Morocco and Mauritania moving in to annex the territory of Western Sahara. On 26 February 1976, Spain informed the United Nations (UN) that as of that date it had terminated its presence in Western Sahara and relinquished its responsibilities, leaving no Administering Power. Neither Morocco nor Mauritania gained international recognition, and war ensued with the independence-seeking Polisario Front. The UN considers the Polisario Front to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, and maintains that the people of Western Sahara have a right to "self-determination and independence".

The creation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed on February 27, 1976, as the Polisario declared the need for a new entity to fill what they considered a political void left by the departing Spanish colonizers. While the claimed capital is the former Western Sahara capital El-Aaiún (which is in Moroccan-controlled territory), the proclamation was made in the government-in-exile's provisional capital, Bir Lehlou, which remained in Polisario-held territory under the 1991 ceasefire (see Settlement Plan). On February 27, 2008, the provisional capital was formally moved to Tifariti. Day-to-day business, however, is conducted in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf Province, Algeria, which house most of the Sahrawi exile community.

The SADR acted as a government administration in the Sahrawi refugee camps located in the Tindouf Province of western Algeria. It is headquartered in Camp Rabouni, south of Tindouf, although some official events have taken place in towns in the Free Zone, including the provisional capitals, first Bir Lehlou until 2008, then Tifariti. The government of the SADR claims sovereignty over all of the Western Sahara territory, but has control only within the Free Zone. Several foreign aid agencies, including the UN High Commission for Refugees, and nongovernmental organizations are continually active in the camps. As of March 2020, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has been recognized by 85 states. Of these, 44 have since "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition for a number of reasons. A total of 40 UN states maintain diplomatic relations with the SADR, while a further 7 also recognise the state.

The cover posted by Brahim who lives in Morocco, frequently travel to Layyoune, the capital city of Western Sahara. He posted my envelopes on October 23, 2017 and I received in my hands on November 13, 2017. He specially requested to the post office staff to send as registered with clear postmark, but the clerk forgot the request. On the left sided first stamp you can see the map of Morocco which includes Western Sahara too. Western Sahara not issued stamps officially, so the stamps we see in the market in the name as "Sahara OCC", SADR, Sahrawi, Western Sahara " are fake and cannot use on envelopes. So It is important to get clear postmark shows the city name 'Layyoune' to prove that the cover posted from Western Sahara. Thank You very much Brahim for the great help!

These two are another envelopes posted from Western Sahara by Brahim, but from different post office in Layyoune. It is posted from the post office called Al Makka, but the postmark is very poor, the postal clerk not listened the request of Brahim to put clear postmark and send as registered. He posted the envelopes on same day, I received in my hands on November 13, 2017. On the right corner stamp you can see the map of Morocco which includes Western Sahara too. Thank You Brahim for the great help !