Category Archives: Political issues

Western Sahara’s moment in the sun: How the UN chief waded into a forgotten conflict with no end in sight

Annie Slemrod, Middle East Editor, IRIN
JERUSALEM, 14 April 2016

“Of all of the world’s forgotten conflicts…that of Western Sahara, with its refugees tucked away in a remote desert, ranks as one of the most consigned to oblivion. But last month, the world’s top diplomat, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, brought the issue to temporary attention with a rather undiplomatic move. After visiting part of the disputed territory, which is claimed by both Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, he called Morocco’s presence there an “occupation.”…(cont.)

IRIN article >>

Incitec Pivot is Australia’s last importer of ‘illegal’ phosphate from disputed Western Sahara

Phosphate mine at Bou Craa factory of the National Moroccan phosphate company (OCP) situated in Western Sahara, . Reuters/Youssef Boudlal

Phosphate mine at Bou Craa factory of the National Moroccan phosphate company (OCP) situated in Western Sahara, . Reuters/Youssef Boudlal

Zac Crellin
International Business Times, 15 April 2016

Fertiliser producer Incitec Pivot Ltd. (ASX:IPL) is the last Australian importer of rock phosphate from the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a report has found. In 2015, Incitec Pivot imported 63,000 tonnes of phosphate worth US$7.48 million and constituting one third of its superphosphate fertiliser mix. “We have been in touch with Incitec Pivot for many years with letters explaining the issue to them and meeting them, but we haven’t been successful in convincing them to end their illegal exploitation of this resource,” said Kamal Fadel, Australian representative of SADR’s governing party, the Polisario Front, and head of the SADR Petroleum and Mining Authority. (cont…)

IBT article  >>

Western Sahara: Another Misinformed Imperial Analysis

Map-Western-sahara-400x300By Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion, April 06 2016
Black Agenda Report, Global Research, Center for Research on Globalization

In his recent article, “Just Say No to Another Failed State,” published by Foreign Policy, Lester Munson claims that the only solution to the long standing issue between Western Sahara and Morocco is autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty. Problematically, however, the article lacks context and is overly simplistic, is strewn with inaccuracies and errors, and is heavily tinged with paternalistic overtones.

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Radio New Zealand – Professor Stephen Zunes about Western Sahara

RNZ, Broadcast, 3 April 2016

A few weeks back UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon described the Western Sahara as an occupied land that had been forgotten. Morocco promptly expelled UN staff from the region in protest. Stephen Zunes is the co-author of Western Sahara War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution – one of the only books on the struggle by the indigenous Sahrawi people for independance.

Listen to Prof Stephen Zunes broadcast >>

The Forgotten, 40-Year Refugee Crisis

Laura Secorun Palet,  OZY,  4 April 2016

Because they are out of sight, but they shouldn’t be out of mind. Imagine you have to live in the exact same place for 40 years. And now picture that place is a settlement made of mud in the middle of the desert, surrounded only by vast stretches of dusty nothingness. That’s how the people of Western Sahara live.
Forty years ago, the Saharawis went to war with Morocco, who had annexed Western Sahara into their kingdom against their will….(cont.)

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Independent Diplomat : Security Council must stand up to Morocco’s bullying to end Western Sahara conflict

Photo credit: UN Photo.Evan Schneider

Photo credit: UN Photo.Evan Schneider

Nick Scott, External Relations Officer at Independent Diplomat
Huffington Post, 31 March 2016

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s first ever trip to Western Sahara has sparked a furious reaction from the Moroccan government.

Nick Scott’s hard-hitting article explores why the Security Council has failed to seriously grapple with the conflict over the past quarter century and points out that the Moroccan reaction to challenges over Western Sahara is always aggressive, both publicly and behind the scenes. Morocco often gets its way simply because it’s willing to raise the stakes when others are inclined to back down in order to reduce tensions…(cont.)

Read Nick Scott’s article >>

FPIF: Ban’s Misstep in Western Sahara

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

Foreign Policy In Focus, March 28, 2016

Anna Theofilopoulou writes
“The peace process has just suffered the latest of many setbacks. This time, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon undertook an ill-advised visit to North Africa, which did not include Morocco, the key player in the conflict. Instead of energizing the stalled talks over Western Sahara as he intended, the secretary-general’s visit likely put them in a deep freeze until his successor takes office….(cont.

FPIF article >>

UN official: Western Sahara mission threatened with closure

Edith Lederer, US Federal News Radio,  March 23, 2016 7:57 pm

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. official warned Wednesday that the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the disputed Western Sahara will have to shut down unless Morocco reverses its unprecedented expulsion order.
The official, who is familiar with the latest controversy over Western Sahara, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants the Security Council to take action to protect the U.N. peacekeeping mission known as MINURSO….(cont.)

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UN Press Briefing: Western Sahara

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 23 March 2016

“Western Sahara:  First off:  an update on Western Sahara.

We have sent a note verbale to Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in reply to the note verbale sent by the Government of Morocco on 16 March.
The note makes clear that we are deeply concerned that the recent actions taken by the Government of Morocco are contrary to Morocco’s legal obligations as agreed under the Status of Mission Agreement for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).  That agreement includes a legal obligation for Morocco to ensure ….(cont.) ”

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Security Council response needed in Western Sahara crisis: U.N. official

By Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, Canada

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations Security Council must act to ensure Morocco’s decision to expel personnel from a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory of Western Sahara does not set a bad precedent for other missions, a U.N. official said on Wednesday.
The controversy over U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s use of the word “occupation” ….(cont.)

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