har bi y ya . ▁ ▁Results ▁The ▁take over ▁was ▁viol ently ▁opposed ▁by ▁a ▁pre - ex isting ▁ind igen ous ▁independence ▁movement , ▁the ▁Pol is ario ▁Front , ▁which ▁had ▁gained ▁support ▁from ▁Al ger ia . ▁The ▁en su ing ▁war ▁went ▁badly ▁for ▁Maur it ania , ▁and ▁O uld ▁D add ah ' s ▁government ▁fell ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁The ▁country ▁left ▁Tir is ▁al - G har bi y ya ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁ren oun cing ▁all ▁claims ▁to ▁any ▁part ▁of ▁Western ▁Sah ara , ▁and ▁recogn izing ▁the ▁Pol is ario ▁Front ▁as ▁its ▁people ' s ▁legit imate ▁representative . ▁Rel ations ▁with ▁Rab at ▁d eter ior ated ▁rapidly , ▁and ▁amid ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁Mor oc can ▁backing ▁for ▁attempted ▁cou ps ▁and ▁minor ▁armed ▁cl ash es , ▁Maur it ania ▁drew ▁closer ▁to ▁Al ger ia ▁and ▁the ▁Pol is ario . ▁The ▁government ▁later ▁established ▁formal ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Front ' s ▁government - in - ex ile , ▁the ▁Sah raw i ▁Arab ▁Democratic ▁Republic , ▁as ▁a ▁recognized ▁so ver eign ▁over ▁the ▁territory . ▁ ▁The ▁vision ▁of ▁Gre ater ▁Maur it ania ▁holds ▁little ▁appeal ▁in ▁today ' s ▁Maur it ania , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁purs ued ▁by ▁any ▁major ▁political ▁fa ction . ▁While ▁still ▁recogn izing ▁the ▁Sah raw i ▁republic , ▁Maur it ania ▁has ▁largely ▁m ended ▁relations ▁with ▁Mor oc co