Western Sahara

As the Spanish left colonized Western Sahara in 1975, Morocco invaded, sparking a war with the Western Saharan Polisario Front. Morocco now controls roughly 70% of the territory, occupying it with roughly 140,000 soldiers. In 1991, Morocco and the Polisario Front agreed to a truce ahead of a referendum on Western Sahara’s future. However, Morocco has since refused to allow the referendum, and has exploited Western Sahara’s non-renewable natural resources. This has highlighted the plight of the Saharawi people, and pushed the Polisario Front back to a position where it is openly canvassing for a return to war. This book was published as a special issue of Global Change, Peace and Security.