The Maghreb Center cordially invites you to a Book Launch Reception: PERSPECTIVES ON WESTERN SAHARA : MYTHS, NATIONALISMS, AND GEOPOLITICS Edited By Anouar Boukhars and Jacques Roussellier MONDAY, APRIL 28 / 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM DACOR Bacon House, 1801 F St NW, Washington, DC 20006 The ongoing conflict in Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony in Northern Africa from 1884 to 1976, is one of the more intractable legacies of European colonization in North and sub-Saharan Africa . Spanish retreat in 1976 from its former colony, and the transfer of administrative control over the territory of Western Sahara to neighboring Mauritania and Morocco, which was contested and opposed by the Polisario Front, an indigenous independence movement, triggered a series of event that are still unfolding. After Mauritania withdrew from the area under pressure exercised by Polisario guerrilla groups, Morocco annexed the northern two-third of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979. A guerilla war with the Polisario front, which is backed by Algeria , opposing Moroccan sovereignty, ended in 1971 with a cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. Part of the UN efforts to solve the Western Sahara problem included giving the choice to the Sahrawi people -through a referendum- between independence, favored by the Polisario Front, or integration into Morocco (In 2006, Morocco has proposed integration with a special autonomy status.) Unfortunately, the referendum never took place because of lack of agreement on voter eligibility. Today, the Polisario Front controls about 20% of Western Sahara, and some 100,000 refugees still live in Polisarios camps in Algeria . After multiple peace efforts, the conflict reemerged in 2005 as the “independence Intifada” in Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara . The conflict dominates the political relations between Algeria and Morocco , and until recently Libya . It is considered one of the main reasons preventing Maghreb cooperation and economic integration. It also affects the African community as a whole: disagreements between Morocco , Algeria and Libya over the Sahrawi question have often contributed to hinder inter-African agreements and economic cooperation. This book is a survey, and brings experts from North Africa, Europe, and the U.S., in order to provide a broad-based analysis of the problem, from a range of perspectives. Featuring new research, the chapters examine the roots of the conflict, its dynamics, and potential solutions. Contributions also address questions of law, human rights, and natural resources. Please join us for a reception featuring book editor Anouar Boukhars, Nonresident Scholar in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Assistant Professor of International Relations at McDaniel College , and other contributors to the book. Please RSVP to: [email protected] The Maghreb Center Fostering Understanding & Development of the Maghreb 1718 M Street, NW, # 382, Washington DC 20036 ( (202) 483-1258 * [email protected] Web: maghrebcenter.org/ Maghreb Center Journal: maghrebcenter.org/journal/ Facebook Page Like ·
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 15:40:09 +0000
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