As soon as the Moroccan occupation of the Western Sahara started and a vicious and bloody war diffused, more than 150,000 Sahrawis made their way across the desert, under aerial bombardment, to refugee camps in Algeria. Five camps were created under the control of the Polisario Front - the Sahrawis' national liberation movement, which had been created two years earlier to overthrow Spanish colonial rule. Algeria effectively ceded control of the region to Polisario allowing it to be run as a semi-autonomous province near the military town of Tindouf. More than 35 years passed and the Sahrawi still living in the refugee camps with no real perspectives to return to their home any time soon, mostly due to the passivity of the international community. Built on parched sandy land, the settlements have mushroomed into virtual cities with a population of some 160,000. They lack running water and draw electricity from solar-powered batteries, but are models of organization, divided into districts with town halls. Depending uniquely on International aid (rarely enough to guarantee the basic human condition), the isolation and lack of property created a strong sense of union and community where all are seen as part of a big family - the Sahrawi family. It create a democratic state where there are no salaries, each refugee has a vote and women are equal to men. A state born out of hope in a no man's land. Despite the lack of most basic things, the refugees seam to share all they have amongst others, including with the occasional foreign visitors who find in the hospitable family homes the only place to stay during their visit. Stories of war, exile and fear can be heard from most of the refugees one comes across in the camps, however the feeling of hope and prosperity seams to be unanimous amongst all. The certain of one day go back to their homeland and to traditional nomadic life is what most characterise the Saharawi people. The people long time forgotten by the western world.
