Saharan Conflict: Towards Territorial Autonomy as a Right to Democratic Self Determination

"Western Sahara has for centuries played a crucial role in the national history of Morocco. However, since the end of the 19th century, when Spain established its colonial domination on the territory, it has become a troubled region. In the sixties, Spain was on the verge of returning Western Sahara to Morocco, but changed its mind after the discovery of phosphates. Since then the United Nations has worked tirelessly to bring the unrest in Western Sahara to an end by promoting the implementation of the so-called "self-determination/ independence solution", but this has proved inappropriate. Recently, prospects for a fair and realistic solution have emerged in the form of granting autonomy to the territory under Moroccan sovereignity. This fresh solution, based on democratic self-determination, mirrors that of territorial autonomy regimes successfully implemented in advanced democratic states, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands (under the sovereignity of Denmark), the Aland Islands (Finland) and California (Spain)."--Jacket.…