Offer to hunger striker

Spain has offered Spanish nationality to a Western Saharan activist in an attempt to persuade her to end a hunger strike in protest at Morocco's refusal to allow her to return to her desert home.

Aminatou Haidar began her hunger strike at Tenerife airport two weeks ago after Morocco refused to let her back into Western Sahara following a trip abroad to accept a prize. Western Sahara has long sought independence from Moroccan control.

The Moroccan authorities took away Haidar's passport and put her on a flight to Spain's Canary Islands.