Opération Lamantin

Opération Lamatin was a December 1977 – July 1978 military intervention by France on the behalf of the Mauritanian government, in its war against Sahrawi guerrilla fighters of the Polisario Front, seeking independence for Western Sahara.

Background
Mauritania, a former French colony, had invaded and annexed the southern part of Western Sahara in 1975, with Morocco seizing the northern portion; both states were opposed by the Polisario resistance movement. Contrary to expectations, Mauritania's weak army was nearly overrun by the Polisario, especially after the latter gained access to modern weaponry through striking an alliance with Algeria. France, who had along with former colonial power Spain, supported the takeover of Western Sahara, backed the regime of Mokhtar Ould Daddah, whom they had installed at the end of the colonial era in 1960. Both Mauritania and Morocco were supplied with new military hardware and generous economic aid, to enable them to maintain their grip on the territory. French personnel trained the Mauritanian army and took up important positions in the economy.

Lamantin operation
In December 1977, President Giscard d'Estaing ordered the French Air Force to deploy in Mauritania and start bombing Polisario columns with Napalm, after French technicians were taken as prisoners of war in a Polisario raid on the Zouerate iron mines, Mauritania's most precious economic asset (they were later released unharmed). Ould Daddah's regime still proved unable to fend off the guerrillas, and his disastrous performance in the war was a major reason for the Mauritanian armed forces decision to overthrow him a year later and institute an immediate cease-fire with the Polisario. Mauritania subsequently pulled out of Western Sahara in 1979 and mended relations with their Sahrawi neighbours (Mauritania recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1984), who carried on the fight against Morocco.