On Tuesday, Morocco cancelled its annual joint military exercises with the United States and other international observers just as the “African Lion” war games were set to start, according to U.S. officials.
Though no formal explanation for the cancellation was given, the move follows an expression of support from the White House for broadening the mandate of the United Nations observer mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, to allow it to monitor human rights in the disputed territory, which was annexed by Morocco in the 1970s.
According to Human Rights Watch, “Moroccan abuses in Western Sahara particularly target Sahrawis” -- residents of Western Sahara -- “who advocate self-determination or independence for the territory.”