Aug 12 (Reuters) - Morocco and the Polisario Western Sahara independence movement said on Wednesday they hoped talks to resolve their dispute would continue this year. [ID:nLC600620] Western Sahara, a tract of desert the size of Britain, has been the scene of Africa's longest-running territorial dispute since colonial power Spain left in 1975 and Morocco annexed it. Here are some details about the dispute: * WHAT IS THE DISPUTE? -- Morocco seized Western Sahara after Spain gave up administering the territory in 1975 and Mauritania abandoned its claim to part of it. A low-intensity guerrilla war with the independence movement, the Polisario Front, was waged until the United Nations brokered a ceasefire in 1991. The U.N.-mediated ceasefire came with the promise of a referendum but Morocco has refused to allow a vote. -- The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), declared by Polisario in 1976, is now recognised by many governments and is a full member of the African Union. * NEGOTIATIONS: -- Morocco and Polisario held two rounds of U.N.-sponsored peace talks in 2007 aimed at breaking the stalemate. -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in April 2009 that "little has changed" since the last round of talks in 2008, though Polisario and Moroccan negotiators had indicated they would be willing to meet informally to explore how formal talks could be resumed. -- Negotiators met for two days of talks this week in Austria for U.N.-hosted talks. * PLAYERS IN THE DISPUTE: MOROCCO: -- Morocco believes it has the diplomatic clout to settle Africa's oldest territorial dispute on its terms. Morocco claims centuries-old rights over the territory rich in phosphates, fisheries and possibly offshore oil. -- Having annexed the territory, Rabat says autonomy is the most it will offer. It insists its autonomy plan is steeped in democratic values and investor-friendly liberal economics. POLISARIO: -- Western Sahara's independence movement Polisario has ample support in Africa, where many countries tend to see the territory as the continent's last colony. -- In 2006, Polisario rejected a U.N. call for direct talks with Rabat on a promised vote on independence or to remain part of Morocco. They said the talks were too different from the existing 1991 U.N. agreement which promised residents the chance to vote in a referendum on independence. A vote has never taken place. -- In its proposal submitted to the United Nations in April 2007, Polisario said it was ready to negotiate with Morocco on ways to hold a referendum offering a choice between independence, integration into Morocco and self-governance. FRANCE: -- France is a close ally of Morocco but denies any partiality in Morocco's dispute with Polisario. Morocco sees France as the main supporter for its autonomy proposal. ALGERIA: -- Rabat's vision of autonomy is opposed by Algeria, the key ally of Polisario and site of its headquarters. Thousands of Sahrawi refugees live in camps in the Algerian desert. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com/) (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)
Dalila Mimouni's husband (R) carries her coffin before the funeral of his wife in Mdiq July 2, 2009. Dalila Mimouni, who contracted H1N1 flu during her pregnancy, on June 30 became ...
