INTERESTING CONFERENCE VIA SATELITE ON THE ROOTS OF THE WESTERN SAHARA CONFLICT

Via an Internet connection from California, US, Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, Sahrawi researcher and specialist in peace studies and conflict resolution, presented today a paper at the conflict resolution course organised by the UK-based organisation, Talk Together, in Oxford. Students from different countries participated in the session.

Entitled “Mapping of the Conflict in Western Sahara”, the paper presents a roadmap of the conflict in Western Sahara by analysing its history and context, primary parties, core issues and the positions and interests of the parties involved as well as the conflict dynamics.

In determining the nature of the conflict, Dr. Sidi Mohamed made it clear that the “conflict in Western Sahara is not a societal, communal, ethnic, religious or class conflict. Rather, it is an international conflict of a political nature, and a decolonisation issue that has been on the list of the United Nations since the 60s”.
In his analysis of the root causes of the conflict, Dr. Sidi Mohamed underlined that the direct, structural cause that underlies the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO, the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, is Morocco’s military invasion and annexation of the territory in 1975.

The origins of this action, however, lie in the expansionist ideology of the “Greater Morocco” and the subsequent territorial claims that the Moroccan regime has laid on its neighbours. In conclusion, Dr. Sidi Mohamed made it very clear that a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the conflict in Western Sahara necessarily entails the exercise by the Sahrawi people of their internationally recognised right to self-determination through a negotiated, democratic and free process in keeping with international law and practice.

“In this process, they could decide their political future, either to be independent, integrate into Morocco or settle for another arrangement. In any case, the final word should be theirs”, he added. He also argued that the success of the UN-led negotiation process would depend not only on achieving a mutually acceptable solution in line with international legality, but also on the ability of the two parties to think seriously about their relations in the post-conflict context.

This process of cooperative thinking will imply, among other things, determining the mutual guarantees in all vital areas, which each party will be willing to grant to the other with a view to achieving not only a win-win solution, but also one that will address the core issues around which the conflict has developed. “The proposal presented by the Frente POLISARIO to the UN in April 2007 contains key elements to be considered in this regard”, concluded Dr. Sidi Mohamed. Despite significant resistance, an innovative conflict resolution course has launched in Oxford last Thursday 6. Students from nine different countries embarked on the intensive immersion course, without two groups of students who were prevented from travelling from Morocco on Wednesday. Students from the disputed territory of Western Sahara were stopped at Agadir airport in Morocco on Wednesday. They stayed there to protest at the block on their journey and embarked on a hunger strike. On Thursday around 18.00 local time they were forcibly removed from the airport and transported in a convoy of police cars, passing through to Gulmin 200km south at 20:30, and on to El Aaiun where they were taken to a police station, interrogated and intimidated.

Their mobile phones had previously been removed, and they were questioned about their contacts and messages. They were also asked about their involvement in Talk Together, and motivation for taking part.The students chose to go to the family home of Rabab Amidane, winner of Norway Students’ Peace Prize earlier this year.

Their supporters met them with slogans, to which the police objected. The latest information is that the students are in the house, which is surrounded by police. Another group of students, from Morocco itself, has also been unable to travel. According to the Moroccan embassy in London, the group of seven students suddenly all developed “family problems” immediately prior to boarding the flight, which prevented them from travelling to Oxford.