MOVING ON?
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chapter from Lonely Planet’s West Africa guide.Laâyoune (Al-’uyun)
POP 200,000
The Spanish created Laâyoune as an outpost from which to administer the nearby Bou Craa
phosphate mines. The Moroccans had bigger ambitions and spent more than US$1 billion
turning it into the principal city of the Western Sahara. Now neither Saharawi nor Spanish, its
population is mostly Moroccans, lured from the north by the promise of healthy wages and tax-
free goods.
A government centre and military garrison with UN Land Cruisers drifting along its drab
avenues, Laâyoune is not worth a visit. Indeed, following the escalation of tensions in the
Western Sahara, we recommend you avoid stopping here, as there’s nothing to justify the risk
of police hassle or getting caught in a riot. Whether you’re heading north or south, distances are
so great that you may have to pause here, but try to plan your trip so you rest up in Tarfaya or
Dakhla, which are more pleasant and safer.
Due to the volatile situation in Laâyoune while this book was being researched, the
information on the city has been updated remotely via phone and internet.