Over the weekend, three South Africa government websites - those of the Department of Social Development, the Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development, and the National Population Unit - were attacked by a hacker, who goes by the name `H4ksniper.'

The hacking of the websites, which were replaced a black screen and a sign proclaiming `Website hacked by H4ksniper,' apparently stemmed from H4ksniper's exasperation at South Africa's support for Westerns Sahara's Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic - the Republica Arabe Saharaui Democratica (RASD).

Seemingly, H4ksniper's anger against South Africa is rooted in the fact that South Africa considers Western Sahara to be a territory which Morocco has illegally occupied, and wants greater autonomy for the Western Sahara residents.

The Wikipedia depicts the RASD as a partially recognised state which claims sovereignty over the Western Sahara, but controls just about one-fifth of the territory - called the Liberated Territories or the Free Zone - while the remaining part, known as the Southern Provinces, is controlled by Morocco.

Talking about his reasons behind hacking the three South Africa government websites, H4ksniper told Business Day via an e-mail: "I hacked them because South Africa is supporting the `RASD' and is considered as an ennemi of Morocco. So we didn't start this! I'm just defending my country."