1-Thread on colonial propaganda in Western Sahara: In 1974, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's government created a puppet 'political party' in Western Sahara to push Franco's colonial propaganda into the communities of colonised Saharawi people.

2-This was because the newly founded independence movement Frente POLISARIO was inflicting heavy losses on Spanish forces in Western Sahara. Among the Saharawis, the POLISARIO gained support at breakneck speed for its demands of independence and ferocity against colonial Spain.

3-Franco's damage control move was to create this political party made up of 'Saharawis', paid and controlled by Franco. He called it the PUNS, Saharawi National Union Party. This is big: back then the only political party allowed in Spain was the Falange Española, Franco's party

4-The leader of the PUNS, Khalihenna Ould Errachid, had one job: to try and persuade Saharawi people that they were better off with Spanish colonialism than independent. But the people of Western Sahara saw the scam for what it was, and graffitis like this one appeared on walls:

5-By 1975 it became clear to Spain that Frente POLISARIO was succeeding & Madrid looked for ways out. Franco was also in his death bed. The solution? Giving Western Sahara to Mauritania and Morocco, in exchange for Spain to still get minerals & other resources from Western Sahara

6-Mauritania and Morocco then occupied Western Sahara and the POLISARIO turned its guns from the Spanish to the two newcomers. Mauritania was defeated by the POLISARIO in 1979 and signed a peace agreement, and Morocco continued until a UN-ceasefire agreement was signed in 1991

7-Morocco had militarily occupied around 80% of Western Sahara when the ceasefire was signed, so now it turned its efforts to try convincing Saharawi people under its occupation that they were better off under Moroccan occupation that independent. Rabat remembered Franco's idea:

8-Recycling Franco's great idea, Morocco created a 'Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs' to try and convince Saharawis of the benefits of being ruled over by a military occupation with an absolute king at its helm (instead of being an independent Republic):

9-This is where reality goes beyond fiction: to lead the CORCAS committee, Rabat chose *none other than* Khalihenna Ould Errachid. Bizarre choice, given that Saharawis already knew about his past work for the generalissimo Franco, but this also meant he had the experience:

10/10-CORCAS has given up trying to convince Saharawis of the greatness of Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara. These days CORCAS has a team of trolls blasting western audiences with more conspiracy theories than Qanon about Western Sahara and greatness of Morocco's occupation