Boujdour (or Bujdur, Bojador,, ) is a city in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, near Cape Bojador. It is de facto administered by Morocco, which includes it in the administrative division of the Southern Provinces. It is an urban municipality in Boujdour Province, in the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region.

History

Boujdour was originally a fishing village built around the Cape Boujdour Lighthouse. The locality was administered by Spain from 1860 to 1975. From 1976, the city began to acquire an urban character, supported by population growth and its new port. Emerging from the desert, Boujdour has become the capital of the province. It has benefited from the “Al Aouda” and “Al Wahda” programs. The state's effort in favor of this province is also directed towards the creation of fishing villages. On the other hand, in 1976, a seawater desalination unit was installed there and research led to the discovery of underground water in the vicinity of the city. The town was attacked by the Polisario Front on 13 February 1980.

Demography

According to Moroccan censuses; Boujdour had 36,843 inhabitants in 2004 and 42,651 in 2014.

Harbor

Port Boujdour is one of four fishing ports in the Boujdour province, the others being Lacraa, Aftissat (أفتيسات) and Agti el Ghazi (أغتي الغازي). The port is protected by a 724 m barrier and a 260 m embankment. There are two docks for the coastal fleet, one 150 m long and the other 160 m long. There are three 60 m berths for the traditional fleet. The port has a sloped shore for hauling fishing boats onto land. As of 2012 infrastructure included: The Boujdour maritime district in 2012 had 1,732 licensed traditional fishing boats, of which 765 operated from the port of Boujdour. There were 5,200 sailors or divers in the district, about 200 fish wholesalers, 50 industrial workers and 33 carpenters, and 147 in other occupations such as fishing with rods and collecting algae and snails. There was one unit for drying fish, two units for packing fresh fish and three accredited centers for packing and shipping live oysters.

Education

Elementary schools: Middle schools: Secondary schools: Special education Other institutions

Health

The city of Boujdour has a regional hospital that has been operating since 1991. As of 2017 it had 36 beds, 16 doctors, 74 nurses and 45 administrative staff. A 2018 audit was critical of the hospital's administration and procedures. The hospital did not have an intensive care unit, so the most serious cases had to be transferred to the regional hospital in Laayoune, 200 km away. The hospital was also not equipped for orthopedic surgery. Facilities for handling pharmaceuticals were inadequate. The Ministry of Health responded that it was working on improvements, but was handicapped by shortage of human resources. In 2020 it was reported that modern medical equipment had been delivered to the hospital, which would help it cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Twin cities

Sources