Western Sahra
Eniola K Giwa
45280
Spring 2014
INS 415: Dr James N. Sater
Research Paper
“Are Sahrawi condemned to live under Moroccan occupation given the lack of international and military support they were able to mobilize for their cause?”
Western Sahara is a disputed territory between the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The territory in the North African, Maghreb region was formerly called Spanish Sahara when it was under Spanish colonial rule. Currently, the United Nations (UN) lists it as a non-decolonized territory and it is counted among the United Nations List of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
(Fig 1 Map of Western Sahara showing the borders)
Historical Background
The dispute over Western Sahara can be connected to Moroccan Independence in the 1950’s. “With Independence the core question of Moroccan territorial integrity and borders a key nationalist concern” (Sater, 2009, ch.5). The author goes on to sad that Moroccan nationalists believed that all territories that were by colonialists should be part of the new state, and Western Sahara was considered one of these territories. “Our independence will only be complete with the Sahara!” shouted the leader of the Moroccan Istiqlal Party, Allal el-Fassi, in 1956 (Hodges, 1983: 85). It was not until 1973, however, that Morocco’s King Hassan began to support these nationalist ideals by campaigning for the return of the Sahara to ‘the motherland’ through government newspapers (Pennel, 2000). Spain -- the colonial power since 1885 -- overruled Morocco’s claims to the territory and a fact-finding mission launched by the United Nations found Sahrawi people were in favor of for independence and self-rule not annexation by Morocco. The findings caused the UN to rule in favor of Spanish Sahara’s independence on October 14, 1974. In order to buy some time, King Hassan presented an appeal to the International Court of Justice to support Morocco’s claims to the Sahara. However the ICJ
45280
Spring 2014
INS 415: Dr James N. Sater
Research Paper
“Are Sahrawi condemned to live under Moroccan occupation given the lack of international and military support they were able to mobilize for their cause?”
Western Sahara is a disputed territory between the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The territory in the North African, Maghreb region was formerly called Spanish Sahara when it was under Spanish colonial rule. Currently, the United Nations (UN) lists it as a non-decolonized territory and it is counted among the United Nations List of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
(Fig 1 Map of Western Sahara showing the borders)
Historical Background
The dispute over Western Sahara can be connected to Moroccan Independence in the 1950’s. “With Independence the core question of Moroccan territorial integrity and borders a key nationalist concern” (Sater, 2009, ch.5). The author goes on to sad that Moroccan nationalists believed that all territories that were by colonialists should be part of the new state, and Western Sahara was considered one of these territories. “Our independence will only be complete with the Sahara!” shouted the leader of the Moroccan Istiqlal Party, Allal el-Fassi, in 1956 (Hodges, 1983: 85). It was not until 1973, however, that Morocco’s King Hassan began to support these nationalist ideals by campaigning for the return of the Sahara to ‘the motherland’ through government newspapers (Pennel, 2000). Spain -- the colonial power since 1885 -- overruled Morocco’s claims to the territory and a fact-finding mission launched by the United Nations found Sahrawi people were in favor of for independence and self-rule not annexation by Morocco. The findings caused the UN to rule in favor of Spanish Sahara’s independence on October 14, 1974. In order to buy some time, King Hassan presented an appeal to the International Court of Justice to support Morocco’s claims to the Sahara. However the ICJ
References: Articles 1 (2), 55 and 56 of the UN Charter ; Article III (3) of the OAU Charter 1963. Hodges, T. (1983). WESTERN SAHARA: The Roots of a Desert War.. USA: Lawrence Hill & Co. Pazanita, Anthony. "The Proposed Referendum", in Yahia Zoubir and Daniel Volman (eds.) International Dimensions of the Western Sahara conflict. Westport. CT: Praeger Publishers: 1993., Pennell, C. R. (2000). Morocco since 1830: A history. New York: New York University Press. Resolution of the European Parliament on Western Sahara, RC408127EN, of 16 March 2000. Sater, J. N. (2010). Morocco: Challenges to tradition and modernity. Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge.