The Worst of the Worst 2010 - Western Sahara
| Publisher | Freedom House |
| Publication Date | 3 June 2010 |
| Cite as | Freedom House, The Worst of the Worst 2010 - Western Sahara, 3 June 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c0e0b0323.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Population: 511,000
Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 6
Status: Not Free
| Ten-Year Ratings Timeline for Year under Review (Political Rights, Civil Liberties, Status) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Under Review | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Rating | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF | 7,6,NF |
2009 Key Developments: Talks between the Moroccan government and the pro-independence Polisario Front continued in 2009, but the two sides remained at odds over whether to allow a referendum on independence. Pro-independence activists continued to be detained and harassed, and the conditions on the ground for most Sahrawis remained poor.
Political Rights: As the occupying force in Western Sahara, Morocco controls local elections and works to ensure that independence-minded leaders are excluded from both the local political process and the Moroccan Parliament. Corruption is believed to be at least as much of a problem in Western Sahara as it is in Morocco.
Civil Liberties: According to the Moroccan constitution, the press is free, but this is not the case in practice. There is little in the way of independent Sahrawi media. Moroccan authorities are sensitive to any reporting that is not in line with the state's official position on Western Sahara, and they continue to expel or detain Sahrawi, Moroccan, and foreign reporters who write critically on the issue. Online media and independent satellite broadcasts are largely unavailable to the impoverished population. Nearly all Sahrawis are Sunni Muslims, and Moroccan authorities generally do not interfere with their freedom of worship. Sahrawis are not permitted to form independent political or nongovernmental organizations, and their freedom of assembly is severely restricted. As in previous years, activists supporting independence and their suspected foreign sympathizers were subject to harassment in 2009. Sahrawis are technically subject to Moroccan labor laws, but there is little organized labor activity in the resource-rich but poverty- stricken territory. Morocco and the Polisario both restrict free movement in potential conflict areas. Morocco has been accused of using force and financial incentives to alter the composition of Western Sahara's population. Sahrawi women face much of the same cultural and legal discrimination as Moroccan women. Conditions are generally worse for women living in rural areas, where poverty and illiteracy rates are higher.
