The Berm's construction and purpose

The Berm, a massive sand wall built by Morocco between 1980 and 1987, stretches approximately 2,700 km, longer than the straight-line distance between Paris and Moscow. It is the second-longest barrier in the world, after the Great Wall of China, and divides Western Sahara into areas controlled by Morocco and those held by the Polisario Front.

Segments and strategic locations

The Berm was constructed in six distinct segments, each designed to extend Moroccan control. The first, about 500 km long, protects the phosphate mines of Bou Craa, a critical resource for Morocco. The final segment, completed in 1987, reached Guerguerat, while the longest section, 670 km, bypassed Dakhla.

Construction techniques and defenses

The Berm includes sand and stone embankments about 3 meters high, with bunkers, fences, and mines. It is equipped with radars and surveillance systems to monitor the area. The construction used traditional Moroccan methods, such as surrounding palm trees with sand mounds, and involved foreign military experts, including South Africans and Israelis.

Mine contamination and demining efforts

More than 1,465 km of the wall remains heavily contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance on both sides. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has verified 43,610 km of paths as safe for patrols, destroying 694 mines and 22,183 explosive devices. However, funding remains a challenge, with UNMAS requesting an additional 3.5 million dollars to address remaining contamination.

Human cost and ongoing efforts

The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor recorded 1,427 victims up to 2017, while the United Nations has documented over 1,000 victims east of the wall. As of August 2024, 24 of the 68 known minefields and 31 of the 543 submunition strike zones east of the wall were still awaiting demining. On the Moroccan side, the army claimed to have cleared about 268.97 million square meters, or roughly 2.5 times the area of Paris.

Research and environmental restoration

At the University of Porto, a research project is exploring the potential for restoring biodiversity in the region. This work comes amid ongoing efforts to address the environmental and humanitarian impacts of the conflict and the extensive mine contamination.