NORTH AFRICA: Spectacular in the Sahara

The journey was exhausting, the accommodations were wretched and furious sandstorms periodically lashed the seemingly endless rows of tents. Yet hundreds of thousands of banner-waving, Koran-thumping volunteers last week continued to swarm into Morocco's southernmost town, Tarfaya. "So many people want to volunteer for the Saharan march that application forms are being sold on the black market," said one sheik who had traveled from the east-central province of Ksar es Souk. While awaiting orders to cross the Spanish Saharan border 21 miles to the south —the "go" signal may be given...

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