Anouar Boukhars - Perspectives on Western Sahara: Myths, Nationalisms, and Geopolitics

Perspectives on Western Sahara

Edited by
Anouar Boukhars
and Jacques Roussellier

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York Toronto Plymouth, UK

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

Anouar Boukhars.

Perspectives on Western Sahara : Myths, nationalisms, and geopolitics / edited by Anouar Boukhars and Jacques Roussellier.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-2685-2 (cloth : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-4422-2686-9 (electronic)

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

ACSRT African Center for Studies and Research on Terrorism

AFP Agence French Presse

AIS Islamic Salvation Army

ALM Moroccan Army of Liberation

ALN National Liberation Army (Algeria)

AMU Arab Maghreb Union

ANC African National Congress

ANP National Peoples Army

APN National Peoples Assembly (Algerian)

AQIM Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

AU African Union

CEMOC General Staff Joint Operations Committee

CEN-SAD Community of Sahel-Saharan States

CMPI Main Military Investigation Center (Algiers)

CNDH National Human Rights Council (Morocco)

CNRT National Council of Timorese Resistance

CORCAS Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (Morocco)

CRI Regional Investment Center

DEPT Department of Economic Studies and Financial Forecast (Morocco)

DRS Department of Intelligence and Security (Dpartement du Renseignement et de la Scurit) (Algeria)

DSI Direction de la Scurit Intrieure, or DSI (Algeria)

ECOWAS Economic Community of Wester African Stakes

EU European Union

EXIM Export-Import Bank (US)

FAR Royal Armed ForcesKingdom of Morocco

FLN National Liberation Front

FLU Fusion and Liaison Unit (Algeria)

FPA Fisheries Partnership Agreement

GAM Free Aceh Movement

GCF Groupement des gardes-frontires

GCTF Global Counterterrorism Forum

GIA Armed Islamic Group

GPRA Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic

GSPC Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat

GWOT Gobal war on terrorism

HCE High State Council (Haut Comit dtat) (Algeria)

IC Identification Commission (MINURSO)

ICG International Crisis Group

ICJ International Court of Justice

IER Equity and Reconciliation CommissionKingdom of Morocco

IMF International Monetary Fund

LOGA Law on the Governing of Aceh

MINURSO United Nations Mission for the Referendum in the Western Sahara (Mission des Nations Unies pour lOrganisation dun Referendum au Sahara Occidental)

MNLA National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad

MoU Memorandum of Understanding

MTNM Northern Mali Tuareg Movement

MUJAO Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa

NCT National Transition Council (Libya)

NEPAD New Partnership for Africas Development

NGO nongovernmental organization

NSGT non-self-governing territory

OAU Organization of African Unity

OCP Office Chrifien des Phosphates (Morocco)

OCRS Common Organization of the Saharan Regions

OHMYM Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines

OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

OPIC Overseas Private Investment Corporation (US)

PAM Party of Authenticity and Modernity

PESG Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General

PJD Justice and Development Party

Polisario, or Polisario Front Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia al-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Frente Popular de Liberacin de Sagua el Hamray Ro de Oro)

PSOE Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol

PUNS Partido De La Union Nacional Saharaui

PVLs Provisional Voters Lists

SADR Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

SRSG Special Envoy of the Secretary-General

SM Scurit Militaire

SPLA Sahrawi Peoples Liberation Army

SRCS Sahrawi Red Crescent Society

SRSG Special Representative of the Secretary-General

TSCTI Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative

UAS Union of African States

UEMOA West African Economic and Monetary Union

UMA Arab Maghreb Union (same as AMU)

UN United Nations

UNGA United Nations General Assembly

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNSC United Nations Security Council

UNSG United Nations Secretary General

UNTAET United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor

This volume of essays speaks to a continuing political debate that is increasingly important in a global community riven by emerging ethnic and cultural tensions. Rather than greater integration within societies, we are witnessing in Africa, the Arab countries, and South Asia a growing emphasis on differences among peoples. The resolution of the Western Sahara conflict, within that context, may help us better appreciate how constructive engagement among participants might, abetted by genuine advocacy for peace, possibly provide lessons for other leaders and analysts as to how to reverse troubling situations before they worsen.

One conflict that has gone on for far too long is the situation in the Western Sahara. In any discussion of this issue, there are scores of proponents on both sides who can marshal facts and opinions as to what must and should be done to resolve the conflict, rarely focusing on what can be done after more than 38 years of an inconclusive state of affairs.

On the one hand, for nearly fifty years, the kings of Morocco, supported by a wide national consensus, have constantly affirmed that their country, as far as the contested status of the Western Sahara territory is concerned, would never accept any outcome that might stop short of endorsing Moroccan sovereignty, let alone result in the independence of the territory.

In the middle is the international community, which early on, through the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in its first resolution of December 16, 1965, proposed that Spain, the then UN administering power in the territory, takes all necessary measures to decolonize the territory, while entering into negotiations on problems relative to governing. The UNGA subsequently adopted seven more resolutions between 1966 and 1973 reiterating the need to hold a referendum on self-determination, in line with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

And then, on the other hand, is the Polsario Front, which with the full support of Algeria, argues that the initial resolution supporting a referendum on self-determination is cast in stone, a rather immovable goal despite the fact that decades later it remains out of grasp.