Abstract
First, we'll look at the history of the introduction and spread of religious brotherhoods in the Western Sahara (Mauritania and Morocco essentially), in particular the two great tarîqa: Qâdiriya and Tijâniya. The role of these brotherhoods in mobilizing against colonial penetration will also be discussed: the case of shaykh Mâ 'al-'Ayanayn (d. 1910). Colonization established borders without considering the social, historical and geographical realities of the region. In 1956, the liberation army (jaysh at-tahrîr) carried out attacks on the Moroccan Saharan borders against France and Spain; the two colonial powers joined forces to annihilate this army (Operation Swab 1958). The second part of our contribution focuses on the changes that have taken place since the second half of the 20th century, a period marked by massive sedentarization, urbanization and new political dynamics, using the north-western Saharan region (from Oued Noun to Rio de Oro) as a case study.
