1 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁Al ger ian ▁authorities ▁have ▁estimated ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Sah raw i ▁refuge es ▁in ▁Al ger ia ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 6 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁Diplom atic ▁relations ▁with ▁Al ger ia ▁were ▁restored ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁a ▁UN - mon itor ed ▁ce ase fire ▁began ▁in ▁Western ▁Sah ara , ▁but ▁the ▁territory ' s ▁status ▁remains ▁und ec ided ▁and ▁ce ase fire ▁viol ations ▁are ▁reported . ▁The ▁following ▁de cade ▁saw ▁much ▁wr ang ling ▁over ▁a ▁proposed ▁refer endum ▁on ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁but ▁the ▁dead lock ▁was ▁not ▁broken . ▁ ▁Political ▁re forms ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁b ic amer al ▁legisl ature ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁Mor oc co ' s ▁first ▁opposition - led ▁government ▁came ▁to ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁King ▁Hass an ▁II ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁his ▁son , ▁Moh ammed ▁VI . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁c aut ious ▁modern iser ▁who ▁has ▁introduced ▁some ▁economic ▁and ▁social ▁liberal isation . ▁ ▁Moh ammed ▁VI ▁paid ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Western ▁Sah ara ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁Mor oc co ▁un ve iled ▁an ▁aut onomy ▁blue print ▁for ▁Western ▁Sah ara ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁in