The Western Sahara: The Real Beginning of the Algerian-Moroccan Conflict
It’s about time we discussed the elephant in the room.In the past, we touched upon the Algeria/Morocco tensions without clearly addressing the core element of that conflict: The dispute over Western Sahara sovereignty. Now more than ever, this discussion is important as more and more countries side with the Moroccan Kingdom on the issue.
Before we get started, I would like to make a quick disclaimer.
Peace and unity among Muslims are a top priority. That’s why my goal in writing this article is not to fuel the conflict between Algeria and Morocco, but to provide an analysis which may help to contextualize and make sense of a debate filled with emotion. As an observer, I should clarify that I am not neutral. I am unapologetically supporting Morocco in this affair because for me – as I shall demonstrate – a Moroccan Western Sahara is the best option for the Ummah at large, and I think that all traditional Muslims should favor it.
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I also admire the resistance Morocco displays against the West in this particular case, and it gives me hope for the future of Islam. For a country like Morocco, which lost many battles against the Liberal World Order, it is comforting to see a ray of light at the end of the tunnel.
A Brief History of the Sahara
Western Sahara, in addition to Mauritania and some parts of Algeria’s territory, was originally a part of the Moroccan Kingdom. It officially belonged to the Alawi Dynasty – the same dynasty that currently rules over Morocco, and also one of the oldest kingdoms in the world.Unfortunately, in 1885, the Western colonial powers held the conference of Berlin and decided that Spanish settlers would rule this part of Africa. The French and the Spanish split the old empire. France settled on modern Mauritania and Algeria and installed a protectorate in the remainder of the monarchy’s land.
After World War 2, and the beginning of the independence wave worldwide, Mohammed V – the grandfather of Morocco’s current king – took the opportunity to claim sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
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This in turn inspired Mauritania, which was enticed by this land’s natural resources. The inhabitants of the Western Sahara themselves quickly followed suit. They developed their independence movement to claim the right of having a new state of their own: The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
For obvious reasons, both the UN and Algeria supported this new movement. The United Nations officially did so to defend the Sahrawi people’s right of self-governance and democracy. The latter wanted to acquire the enormous reserve of unexploited phosphates still beneath the earth of the Sahara and financed the independent movement to create a diplomatic bond with the area.
Hassan 2, the king of Morocco at the time, reacted quickly and organized one of the most fascinating political moves of the last century: The Green March. On the 6th of November 1975, he sent thousands of Moroccans to walk unarmed into the Western Sahara. He then invited some of the Moroccan population to move to the Western Sahara and settle there in order to occupy that territory.
