The School of Friendship between Cuba and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic: How Cuba Prefigures an Independent Western Sahara

The Polisario Front, the Sahrawi representatives of the former Provincia del Sahara (Province of the Sahara) proclaimed a new state after nearly 100 years of Spanish rule. On February 27th, 1976, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) was formed. The revolutionary nationalist movement fought a guerilla war against Morocco and Mauritania until 1991 when a ceasefire was signed. The Western Saharan Liberation Movement is now headquartered near Tindouf, Algeria. My research will explore Cuban solidarity efforts for children born into the Western Saharan Liberation Movement since the late 1970s through testimonies from Sahrawi and Cuban adults who participated in the Escuela de Amistad Cuba-RASD (School of Friendship Cuba SADR) in the Isla de la Juventud and professional degrees in various Cuban universities. An estimated 4000 Sahrawi youth have studied in a variety of educational programs in Cuba to date. The Cuban program facilitates the training of Sahrawi youth in much needed professions such as nursing, teaching and medicine and to prefigure an independent Western Saharan state. This research explores the transfer of ideas such as revolutionary nationalism and socialism through solidarity exchanges between people who were part of revolutionary national histories in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Such an endeavour will explore what the specificities and significance of the solidarity program was in shaping revolutionary aspirations for the Sahrawi and Cuban people who participated.