How to Steal a Country

1) Claim it is yours.
2) Allow the International Court of Justice to consider your claim.
3) Ignore their findings 'cos what do they know?!
4) Pour in troops and lure in civilians by creating a tax haven with many well paid jobs.
5) Wait a few years before announcing an election.

This seems to have been Morocco's approach to the Western Sahara since 1975 and after a UN brokered ceasefire in 1991many indigenous Saharawis still find themselves living as refugees in their own land. For us travelling south, other than being stopped at umpteen roadblocks / checkpoints, our experience is of a very friendly region which strangely feels more Westernised the further south we go. No doubt this will change drastically when we cross the Mauritanian border in the next day or two.
This leg of the journey has involved great distances (so far 3 days and over 1000km of desert highway (pic 1) but tax free fuel - 35pence/litre). We're currently relaxing in Dakhla (pic2) - the last major town before we start our Saharan crossing.