Lessons to be learned from the deadlock of decolonization of Western Sahara

By Ali El Aallaoui

The Western Sahara conflict arose as a legacy of colonialism. This territory was qualified as a non-self-governing territory by the United Nations in 1963 when Western Sahara was still a Spanish colony.

Since 1965, the United Nations has been making efforts to end the decolonization of Western Sahara. This question, considered at its birth as a question of application of the right of peoples to dispose of themselves, commonly through a free referendum where the Saharawi people will choose their destiny.

However, neither Spain, which occupied Western Sahara from 1884 to 1976 nor Morocco, which has occupied this territory since 1976, that is, the two colonial states have never respected UN resolutions or international law on decolonization, which leads us to say that the standstill situation is a constant in the Sahrawi question.  Read more