Tóth Erica
12 June 2026
The Moroccan Wall is a 2,700 km long, heavily mined, militarized zone that separates Western Sahara – a disputed territory in southern Morocco – from the rest of Africa.
The Moroccan Wall – also known as the Moroccan Defensive Wall or simply “the Berm” – in Western Sahara is one of the least talked about military border zones in the world, despite being home to the world's longest continuous minefield. It consists of long sandbars, military fortifications, an estimated 7 million landmines planted in the ground, and a significant amount of unexploded ordnance.
It began more than half a century ago
The history of the Moroccan Wall dates back to 1975, when the Spanish occupation of Western Sahara ended. As Spanish troops withdrew from the region, neighboring Morocco and Mauritania quickly divided the territory between themselves, ignoring the will of the local Sahrawi people (Sahrawis), who had been fighting for their independence since 1960.
In 1976, the Sahrawis formed the Polisario Front, a national liberation movement, and declared the independence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Armed clashes broke out in the region, and although Mauritania withdrew in 1979, Morocco continued to maintain control over the territory.
A stalemate that persists to this day
After suffering significant military losses, Morocco began building a 2,700-kilometer (1,680-mile) defensive line across Western Sahara. By the time construction was completed in 1987, the Berm had divided the region in two. The eastern part was controlled by the SADR, while two-thirds of Western Sahara—where almost all economic activity was concentrated—remained under Moroccan control.
The Wall of Shame
The Sahrawi people, who are fighting for the independence of Western Sahara, call Morocco’s fortification system the “Wall of Shame” because they see it as an obstacle to the reunification of the two parts of a united nation.
Unfortunately, the millions of mines planted under the sand and the large amount of unexploded ordnance left over from the war regularly cause serious injuries and deaths among the local population.
Interestingly, the Berm is not only the longest minefield in the world, but also the second longest wall in the world after the Great Wall of China.
Source: NLC Hungary
https://nlc.hu/szabadido/20260612/2700-km-marokkoi-fal-leghosszabb-aknamezo/