The conflict in Western Sahara is one of Africa’s most long‐lasting territorial disputes, going on for more than three decades now. The territory is contested by Morocco and the Polisario Front, which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government‐in‐exile of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. The self‐proclaimed republic has been a member of the African Union since 1984, and has been recognized by eighty‐two nations. In the meantime, the issue has been on the UN agenda since 1966, yet the international community has failed to find a suitable solution between the two concerned parties. The reasons for this failure are the lack of interest from the international community and the West’s power struggles in the strategic region of North Africa.
In 2007, the Kingdom of Morocco proposed an autonomy plan in which "the people of Western Sahara will have local control over their affairs through legislative, executive and judicial institutions under the aegis of Moroccan sovereignty."1 But the plan was rejected by the Polisario Front, and the stand‐off
continues.
This paper presents a historical, political and legal account of the Western Sahara conflict and evaluates the geopolitical roles of the regional and outside powers in the conflict: Spain, Algeria, France and the United States. The essay will conclude with a brief description of the current situation.
Written by Alouat Hamoudi
Research Intern at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO)