Western Sahara threatens to fall into the spiral of violence again as the Polisario Front has threatened to take up arms against Morocco. A brief glance at the history of the region leaves one bewildered at the number of proposals put forward to settle the dispute from a plethora of sources. The UN has come up with the idea of talks again on January 7.
But after ignoring all the geopolitical calculations of all the parties involved, namely Morocco, Algeria, Spain and to a lesser extent US and others, one’s attention is drawn to October 1975 judgment of the International Court of Justice. It had then rejected territorial claims by Morocco and Mauritania and recognized the Saharawis’ right to self-determination.
After such a clear verdict by the world’s highest court it is amazing that the Saharawis are still struggling for freedom. Morocco was in the wrong by slicing up the territory between itself and Mauritania when the Spaniards left. Worse still Morocco also gobbled up the part Mauritania let go.
Spain was at fault too as it buckled under pressure of the “Green March” by millions of Moroccans and handed over western Africa to it, totally disregarding the rights of Saharawis. The present mess is largely the result of these original sins.
Blaming Polisario for violence is like blaming the American settlers for fighting the British in America in the 18th century.
The UN too is to be blamed. It has been half-hearted in its attempts to solve the issue. Its approach to it has been confused and directionless. The UN should decide once and for all whether it should stick to its earlier decision of giving full rights of self-determination to the Saharawis or wash its hands of the matter and letting Algeria, Morocco and Polisario to either talk it out or fight it out.
Image Credits: AlJazeera
