Exhausted by years of guerilla warfare against Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara, the Sahrawi people are still waiting for the referendum on their sovereignty promised in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire. This Wide Angle documentary presents the story of a unique annual marathon in the Sahara desert, designed to draw attention to the plight of the Sahrawi. Following the race through brutal heat and punishing sirocco sandstorms, the program focuses on two competitors—Jorge Aubeso, a top Spanish athlete sympathetic to the cause, and Abdullah, a Sahrawi self-trained runner determined to win the race for his nebulous homeland. The filmmakers poignantly convey the story of 165,000 people, far from the mainstream media spotlight, who fear that their problem may never be resolved without a return to armed struggle. Anchor Mishal Husain discusses the conflict with former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. (57 minutes)
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