Agounit

Agwanit أغوانيت Aghoueinit
Municipality and town
Agwanit Location in Western Sahara
Coordinates: 22°11′0″N 13°7′59″W / 22.18333°N 13.13306°W
Country	Western Sahara
Claimed by	Kingdom of Morocco,  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Controlled by	Sahrawi Republic
Government
• Type	Municipality
Elevation	306 m (1,004 ft)

Agounit (also transliterated Aghounit, Aghoueinit, Agueinit, Agwenit, Agwanit, Agüenit, Aguanit; Arabic: أغوانيت) is a small town or village in the Río de Oro area of Western Sahara. It is to the east of the Moroccan Wall, thus included in the Polisario Front-held Free Zone of Western Sahara, under the jurisdiction of the Sahrawi Republic, and near the Mauritanian border, 72 km. south-west from Fderik. It has a hospital, a school and a mosque. It is the head of the 7th military region of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

It is also the name of a daïra of the Wilaya of Auserd, in the Sahrawi refugee camps.

Infrastructure

On June 7, 2006, and during the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the "Day of the Martyr" (commemorating the death in combat of El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, first president of the SADR), Mohamed Abdelaziz (president of the SADR) inaugurated a hospital (built up with help from the Basque country government), a desalination centre (built with the help of Andalusia government), a school and the Mayoralty of Agwenit.^[1]

Politics

In May 2000, the Polisario Front celebrated the 27th anniversary of the beginning of their armed struggle with a military parade in Agounit.^[2]

In June 2006 (during the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the "Day of the Martyr") the town was the host of the annual conference of the Sahrawi communities abroad (Sahrawi diaspora).^[3]

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Agounit is twinned with:

Amurrio, Álava, Basque Country, Spain[4] Busturia, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain[5] Campiglia Marittima, Livorno, Tuscany, Italy[6] Gatika, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain[7] Lapuebla de Labarca, Álava, Basque Country, Spain[8] Mallabia, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain[9] Motril, Granada, Andalucía, Spain Poggio a Caiano, Prato, Tuscany, Italy[10] Ponsacco, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy[6] Portoferraio, Livorno, Tuscany, Italy (since November 8, 2004)[6][11]

Puçol, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (since September 1, 2002) Quarrata, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy[6] Rignano sull'Arno, Florence, Tuscany, Italy[6] Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain (since 1995)[12]

References

1. "Inauguration of many social projects in Aghoueinit.". SPS. 11 June 2006. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
2. "Il n'y a pas d'autre alternative a l'Independance du peuple Sahraoui, declare le President Mohamed Abdelaziz." (in French). SPS. 2000-05-21. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
3. "Opening of the annual conference of the Saharawi communities abroad". SPS. 8 June 2006. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
4. "Aytº de Amurrio (Álava)" (in Spanish). Euskal Fondoa. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
5. "Aytº de Busturia (Bizkaia)" (in Spanish). Euskal Fondoa. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
6. Gemellaggi e Patti di Amicizia Regione Toscana - Consiglio Regionale, 27 March 2010 (Italian)
7. "Aytº de Gatika (Bizkaia)" (in Spanish). Euskal Fondoa. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
8. "Aytº de Lapuebla de Labarca (Álava)" (in Spanish). Euskal Fondoa. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
9. "Aytº de Mallabia (Bizkaia)" (in Spanish). Euskal Fondoa. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
10. Solidarietà per il Popolo Saharawi Comune.poggio-a-caiano.po.it (Italian)
11. PATTO DI AMICIZIA CON LA TENDOPOLI DI AGUENIT NELLA REPUBBLICA ARABA DEMOCRATICA SAHARAWI Comune.portoferraio.li.it, 2 August 2004 (Italian)
12. Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui Trescantos.es (Spanish)

External links

• 1970's black & white photos of the Spanish hospital in Agüenit