In pictures: Saharan anniversary

The Polisario Front - the movement demanding independence for Western Sahara - is celebrating its 35th anniversary.

Soldiers from the movement were on parade at Tifariti, an outpost in Polisario-controlled territory.

Since the late 1970s, most of Western Sahara - a largely desert area - has been controlled by Morocco.

Tens of thousands of people live in refugee camps in Algeria, where they survive on international aid.

Polisario fighters seeking independence, like this man, clashed with Moroccan troops before the UN negotiated a truce in 1991. Polisario controls only a small part of the territory.

Since then there has been a ceasefire in the mineral-rich former Spanish colony. A whole generation of Saharans has grown up in this limbo.

The latest round of talks began last year as Morocco proposed an autonomy plan for Western Sahara. But the Polisario Front insists that any deal must allow its people to vote for independence.

With years of negotiations having made little progress, many Saharawis remain uncertain about their future.

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