South Africa vows 'unapologetic' support for Western Sahara independence from Morocco

A former Spanish colony, phosphate-rich Western Sahara sits on the western edge of the vast eponymous desert, stretching around 1,000 kilometres along the fish-abundant Atlantic coastline AFP/File

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed his government's "unapologetic" backing for the partially recognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Western Sahara.

The disputed status of Western Sahara – a former Spanish colony considered a "non-self-governing territory" by the United Nations – has pitted Morocco against the Algeria-backed pro-independence Polisario Front since the 1970s.