MADRID ACCORDS Meaning and
Definition
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The Madrid Accords refer to a series of agreements signed on November 10, 1975 between Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania. These accords were a key milestone in the resolution of the long-standing territorial dispute over the Spanish Sahara, also known as Western Sahara.
Under the Madrid Accords, Spain relinquished its control over Western Sahara and agreed to transfer administrative and political authority to Morocco and Mauritania. The accords also established a period of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara, during which they would choose between independence, integration with Morocco, or integration with Mauritania.
The Madrid Accords were considered a compromise solution to the conflict. However, they sparked continuous tensions and armed conflict between the Sahrawi people, who sought independence, and the Moroccan and Mauritanian authorities. Mauritania withdrew from the Western Sahara in 1979, leaving Morocco as the primary occupying power.
The Madrid Accords have since been a subject of controversy and unresolved dispute, with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), backed by the Polisario Front, asserting its legitimacy as the rightful government of Western Sahara. The United Nations has been actively involved in supporting various peace processes and attempting to find a mutually acceptable resolution to the Western Sahara conflict, including the holding of a referendum on self-determination.
In conclusion, the Madrid Accords were an agreement signed in 1975 that transferred control of Western Sahara from Spain to Morocco and Mauritania, initiating a protracted conflict over the sovereignty and self-determination of the region.
Etymology of MADRID ACCORDS
The term "Madrid Accords" refers to a series of negotiations and agreements that took place in Madrid, Spain, in the 1990s to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The word "Madrid" itself originates from the Arabic word "Magerit", which was the name given to the city during the period of Islamic rule in Spain. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "majrā" meaning "watercourse" or "riverbed". The Accords were named after the location where the negotiations were held, Madrid, Spain, without any specific linguistic or etymological significance beyond the reference to the geographical location.
