Mauritania's first post independence President, Moktar Ould Daddah, found his desire to unify the annexed part of Western Sahara into a 'Greater Mauritania' his undoing as he met fierce resistance from Polisario guerrillas, a resistance that proved his undoing and he was replaced in a military coup. So ended Mauritania's claims to any part of the Western Sahara. However just as Mauritania was signing a peace deal, Morocco moved into territories formerly held by Mauritania and thousands fled into Algeria and settled in the province of Tindouf.

Today Tindouf remains the Polisario's main base. Hostilities between The Polisario and Morocco continued unabated until 1991, including the building of a 1677 mile defensive structure, consisting of sand and stone walls with fences, bunkers and landmines across its length, between Moroccan control and Polisario controlled areas of Western Sahara effectively leaving the Polisario to inhabit what is largely uninhabitable. Despite the ceasefire called in 1991, two decades later the territory remains in dispute with the proposed referendum for independence or autonomy within Morocco stalling as the two sides cannot reach agreement on who should be eligible to vote.