The face-off over Western Sahara is taking centre stage on the West's agenda, writes Gamal Nkrumah There is no exaggerating Morocco's determination to tighten its stranglehold on the vast mineral-rich territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that Spain relinquished in the aftermath of the death of General Franco in 1975. For Morocco, the Western Sahara is an integral part of its territory. It is a question of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. All the major Moroccan opposition parties fully back the Moroccan government on the question of the Western Sahara. The Sahrawi cause was adopted by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia Al-Hamra and Rio de Oro (POLISARIO), an organisation backed to the teeth by Morocco's traditional rival Algeria. It is against this backdrop that talks between representatives of the Moroccan government and the POLISARIO met in Greentree Estate, Manhasset, Long Island, New York. The talks are being held under the auspices of the United Nations and are presided over by Petervan Walsum, the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. These are the fourth and some hope the last round of UN-facilitated peace talks between Morocco and the POLISARIO. Most observers, however, do not confer much hope on a fruitful result. The UN Security Council adopted resolutions 1754 and 1783 in the past to resolve the Sahrawi impasse, but to no avail. Morocco adamantly refuses to recognise the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) administered by POLISARIO, which it insists cannot function as a state without the backing of Algeria. The African Union, in sharp contrast, has a different perspective and recognised SADR as an independent and sovereign state in 1984 making it a full-fledged member of the AU. Morocco promptly pulled out of the pan- African organisation in retaliation. This week, Morocco deployed its troops in the area even as the Manhasset talks commenced. The omens do not augur well. POLISARIO President Mohamed Abdul-Aziz was furious and was highly critical of what he called Morocco's "aggressive impulse". "This race to arms is a profound worry for the Sahrawi people at a time when the Moroccan-Sahrawi conflict is in the hands of the UN," Abdul-Aziz explained. The UN is aware of these problems and is trying to address them. But the intransigence of the protagonists in the Sahrawi case is mind-boggling and led some observers to describe peace talks between Morocco and the POLISARIO as a "dialogue among the deaf". Still, at least the two sides are talking to each other at the moment. That may sound like a minor change, but much is at stake. The Western Sahara is a mineral-rich territory with a mere 260,000 people. Its phosphate deposits are among the world's richest and Morocco has been exploiting the Saharan deposits since it incorporated the territory into the kingdom in 1976. The territory is reputed to also have off-shore oil deposits but exploration in its territory is hampered by the conflict. It is in this context that the arms build-up is fast alarming the international community and regional players. The countries of North Africa are assuming increasing importance to Western Europe, in particular, and to a lesser degree the United States. The nations of the Maghreb, including Algeria and Morocco, are enjoying an economic boom. The US is essentially interested in cementing ties with Algeria and Morocco as bulwarks and close allies in its war against international terrorism. Europe has an insatiable appetite for Algerian natural gas, as an alternative to dependence on Russian supplies. The oil and mineral wealth of the region, coupled with its geographical proximity to Europe, is itself yet another concern. Europe is interested in accelerating the pace of economic development and political stability in the region for selfish ends. Not only do North Africans constitute a sizeable and unwelcome section of the immigrant community of Europe, but many North Africans are suspected of being embroiled in terrorist groups including Al-Qaeda. Indeed, the US and other Western powers would prefer for Morocco and Algeria to iron out their political differences over SADR and focus on development and the war against terror. The strategic location and political importance of the North African region cannot be underestimated. Both Algeria and Morocco are regarded as key Western allies in the war against terror.
