Western Sahara: Understanding the roots of the conflict and suggesting a way out

This document is a report on an ISS round-table seminar held on 8 December 2008 in Pretoria, which brought together representatives from Morocco and the Polisario Front to discuss the roots and potential solutions for the conflict in Western Sahara.

• The conflict in Western Sahara is described as the longest running post-colonial conflict on the African continent, originating in the 1970s following Spain's withdrawal from Spanish Sahara and the subsequent annexation of the territory by Morocco and Mauritania.
• During the seminar, Mr. Mhammed Khadad attributed Morocco's reluctance to relinquish control of Western Sahara to the discovery of phosphates, a claim Dr. Abdelhamid El Ouali countered by citing Morocco's existing phosphate deposits in the North and positive social and economic indicators in the territory.
• Dr. Abdelhamid El Ouali stated that Morocco supports a solution based on territorial autonomy and democratisation for the region, asserting that external interference from Algeria and Spain has been the primary obstacle to a resolution.
• Mr. Mhammed Khadad argued that the collapse of the Manhasset negotiations, which began in June 2007, was due to Morocco's refusal to include the option of independence on a referendum ballot, which he claimed contravened Security Council Resolution 1754 (2007).
• The seminar concluded with both parties maintaining opposing views: the Polisario Front continues to call for a referendum on self-determination, while Morocco maintains its proposal for an autonomy-based solution.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). Western Sahara: Understanding the roots of the conflict and suggesting a way out. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/8 DEC WESTERN SAHARA.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Western Sahara: Understanding the roots of the conflict and suggesting a way out. 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/8 DEC WESTERN SAHARA.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Western Sahara: Understanding the roots of the conflict and suggesting a way out |date=8 December 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/8 DEC WESTERN SAHARA.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008western, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Western Sahara: Understanding the roots of the conflict and suggesting a way out}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/8 DEC WESTERN SAHARA.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }