At the same time the first political Saharawi movement is formed which claims independence from Spain. The repression gives a strong motivating force towards Saharawi nationalism. The UN General Assembly who also asks the International Court of Justice to look into the dispute. The UN officially names the territory in dispute as the Western Sahara. The International Court of Justice announced that neither Morocco or Mauritania should have sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
Moroccan forces enter the north west of the territory.
Spain and Morocco agree on exclusive rights to exploit the phosphate deposits. The Spanish colonial mandate finally comes to an end. 1979 Mauritania abandons its territorial claims in the south and recognises the rights of the Saharawi people by signing a peace agreement. Morocco also moves thousands of new settlers into the region. To this day a deadlock remains on who is eligible to vote.