By: The U.S. and the international community need cooperation from both Morocco and Algeria—and between them—in working against what is a nearly perfect storm of problems facing the Maghreb and the neighboring Sahel. Köhler’s resignation is probably a blow to the U.S. effort to accelerate talks. In the aftermath of the Western Sahara War, The Kingdom of Morocco and The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic are fighting over the territory. Tuesday, June 11, 2019 / The Western Saharan conflict, one of the modern world's oldest, seems to be coming to a head. 2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037Tel: +1.202.457.1700, About Historic peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government began in early September, opening a window for peace after four decades of conflict. Visit Colombia’s Ex-President Santos Says It’s Harder than War. resolve conflicts, not freeze them in perpetuity. The Polisario Front wanted to forcefully end Spanish colonization in the area. The United Nations does not officially recognize the Western Sahara as a sovereign state ruled by The SADR. The primary function of The Moroccan wall is to prevent guerrilla attacks from The Polisario Front. Spain agreed to give control of the area to Morocco and Mauritania. There were thousands of casualties on both sides of The Western Sahara war. Publications Boundaries: The Western Sahara Conflict The Western Sahara mainly consists of desert flatlands. A new tack in diplomacy could help. The Polisario Front has control of the Sahrawi refuge camps. We have see... We really love your site, it has unique articles, Have a gre... What a crazy story about vietnam how could this happen. These regions’ populations are growing, while droughts are forcing people into new conflicts over land and water—and we have seen from Libya to Burkina Faso to Nigeria how violent groups such as ISIS are exploiting those problems. It’s easy to interpret these changes as setbacks. Projects Refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, have long been run by the Polisario movement, which seeks an independent state in Western Sahara, also claimed by Morocco. Turnover at the highest levels of the Algerian government led to changes in the composition of the Algerian delegation to the peace talks. UN Security Council 9 April adopted resolution on Western Sahara peace process following closed-door meeting, reiterating previous resolutions’ commitment to negotiations. Naval Academy, is a service academy fellow at USIP. The Western Sahara conflict is both one of the world’s oldest and one of its most neglected. 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How this question is resolved will be closely watched by Afghans, who want to ensure their hard-won rights are not sacrificed for the sake of a deal with the Taliban—Afghan women in particular have much at stake. But mass protests in Algeria forced the resignation of its president—and last month, the U.N. envoy for the conflict, former German president Horst Köhler, resigned. Morocco’s government has invested a lot of political capital for more than a generation in its claim to the Western Sahara—and billions of dollars in military expenses, infrastructure and a profitable phosphate mining industry. Could the United States Really Buy Greenland from Denmark? Thousands of Sahrawi refugees were displaced and put into refugees camps. Polisario’s UN representative Sidi Mohamed Omar 18 April said UN process is in “total paralysis”. There are also different fences, bunkers, and landmines around it. The conflict over Western Sahara has smoldered for more than 40 years. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Many Americans in the past imagined a conflict in the Sahara as something distant and irrelevant to our concerns, but in the 21st century that is a naïve anachronism. Review our privacy policy for more details. Thomas M. Hill; Juliet O'Brien, Publication Type: The U.S. government is pushing negotiations to resolve the decades-old Western Sahara conflict—but new complications suggest a need for additional steps. Complications arise in America’s effort to renew peace talks. The Moroccan Wall runs through The Western Sahara and Southeast Morocco. Then last month, the U.N. special envoy coordinating the peace process, Horst Köhler, resigned, citing health reasons. So until Algeria’s politics stabilize, you have one of three key negotiation partners that is incapable of engaging in the peacemaking process because of domestic turmoil, and yet you have a strong party that can facilitate the dialogue pressing very hard—and that’s the United States. Connect The... Howdy! Currently, trade between the two countries is negligible, hindering economic growth and regional development. USIP has a variety of newsletters and announcements with the latest analysis, publications and events. Suddenly, for the first time in about eight years, the United States signaled interest in a frozen conflict that the rest of the world seemed to have forgotten about—and that quickly led to two rounds of formal talks in December and March. Midshipman Juliet O’Brien, a senior at the U.S. There was a lengthy period of guerrilla warfare. All parties seemed to have lost patience with the United Nations over its failure to resolve the long stalemate. Tensions ran high, as Spain withdrew from the Spanish Sahara due to the terms of the Madrid Accords. These challenges make it only more essential that we continue to devote energy and attention to the conflict, using every tool that works. Tifariti Journal Fighting Is Long Over, but Western Sahara Still Lacks Peace . This could be one or another form of what we call “track-two” diplomacy. Your email address will not be published. The question of how and where Islam should fit into future legal and political frameworks has emerged as a major sticking point in the talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar. LISE GRANDE NAMED NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE. Eight months of U.S. diplomatic pressure has yielded two rounds of formal talks among Morocco, Algeria and the Western Sahara’s Polisario independence movement. The Polisario Front developed a reputation as a powerful political force. Your email address will not be published. The failure to resolve the Western Sahara question contributes to the closed Moroccan-Algerian border, and to regional tensions. USIP’s Susan Stigant says this is a positive sign for democratic progress, as “one of the promises of the revolution was to seek peace,” but cautioned that the real “work only begins once the ink is on the paper.”. The majority of states recognize SADR as the official government of The Western Sahara. The Covid-19 Pandemic and Deadly Conflict, The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: A Visual Explainer, Turkey’s PKK Conflict: A Visual Explainer, Côte d’Ivoire: An Election Delay for Dialogue, Reducing the Human Cost of the New Nagorno-Karabakh War, What Makes Peace? Also, experience and research show that any peace process can succeed only when it is broad-based—and track-two processes can broaden the base of peacemaking by giving a voice to parts of a society historically excluded from formal peace processes—women, minorities, youth, and refugee populations. The protests were peaceful at the start, but eventually turned violent, as a few people were killed and buildings throughout the area were burned. What do Afghans think about peace? I would argue, however, that we can find a silver lining: When formal negotiation processes are stymied, we can step back to less formal mechanisms that might, in the long term, prove even more effective. Susan Stigant on Sudan’s Latest Peace Agreement. Blog, The United States Institute of Peace Legal and Privacy Information | FOIA Inquiries. Negotiations with the Taliban Collapse as Trump Cancels Secret Meeting at Camp David, Who Owns the Moon? Press Mauritania withdrew from the war after signing a peace treaty with The Polisario Front. Also available in العربية , Español , Français and other languages Report / … He had brought real energy and focus to the talks, and helped to create a sense of cautious optimism within the Polisario Front. The World Bank has frequently cited this as a major impediment to growth. Analysis and Commentary. The International Approach to the Yemen War: Time for a Change?
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