African Union VMUN 2017 Background Guide 1
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African Union VMUN 2017 Background Guide 1 VANCOUVER MODEL UNITED NATIONS the sixteenth annual conference | January 20-22, 2017 Dear Delegates, Alvin Tsuei My name is Rosa Rahimi and I am honoured to serve as the Director of the African Secretary-General Union at VMUN 2017. I am currently in grade 11 at York House School, and I have participated in Model UN since grade 8. As a competitive debater and public speaker, I have come to truly enjoy and appreciate the fast-paced world of a Model UN conference. I look forward to meeting all of you, who will undoubtedly, make this committee an unforgettable experience. Chris Pang Chief of Staff The topics this year for AU are engaging and complex: the Rise of Al-Shabaab and the Western Sahara Conflict. Both of these topics affect member states of the AU, all Eva Zhang of whom are juggling their sovereign interests with interests that will advance the Director-General African Union’s goals. Delegates are encouraged to thoroughly research these topics, in order to better understand their national positions and to find solutions for these Arjun Mehta multifaceted problems that will benefit the AU at large. Director of Logistics The first topic is the Rise of Al-Shabaab. For decades, Somalia has suffered the volatile symptoms of a failed state, turning the nation into a breeding ground for terrorism, piracy, and militant aggression. Al-Shabaab has been a leading force Graeme Brawn behind all of these troubles, exerting its power and values throughout Somalia – USG General Assemblies while also procuring recruits, international allies, and economic capital. Despite previous AU efforts to limit Al Shabaab’s influence, it has continued to flourish and Ryan Karimi expand beyond Somali borders. Delegates must address the constantly evolving USG Specialized Agencies nature of Al Shabaab, while working to find a solution that can effectively combat organization. Mary Dong The second topic is the Western Sahara Conflict. For decades, the region of the USG Conference Western Sahara has been violently contested between Morocco and the indigenous people of the Sahara – represented by the Sahrawi Democratic Republic. On both Ken Hong sides, the conflict has resulted in human rights violations, economic consequences, USG Delegate Affairs and fragmented political alliances. With the AU’s growing influence in the region, the time is ripe to pursue a new avenue towards stability and resolution. Should the Isabelle Cheng Western Sahara Conflict be resolved; the benefits to the AU would range from USG Delegate Affairs natural resource extraction to re-enforcing diplomatic ties with Morocco. Delegates must acknowledge the pressing nature of this conflict, acknowledge the legitimacy of Jason Qu both sides, and work towards a resolution that will establish and preserve stability. USG Finance All this information may seem quite overwhelming at first, so please do not hesitate Jan Lim to contact me if you have any questions. On behalf of the dais, I would like to USG Marketing welcome you to AU 2017! Sincerely, Rosa Rahimi, African Union Director | VMUN 2017 African Union VMUN 2017 Background Guide 1 African Union Position Paper Policy What is a Position Paper? A position paper is a brief overview of a country’s stance on the topics being discussed by a particular committee. Though there is no specific format the position paper must follow, it should include a description of your positions your country holds on the issues on the agenda, relevant actions that your country has taken, and potential solutions that your country would support. At Vancouver Model United Nations, delegates should write a position paper for each of the committee’s topics. Each position paper should not exceed one page, and should all be combined into a single document per delegate. For the African Union, position papers are mandatory, especially for a delegate to be considered for an award. Formatting Position papers should: — Include the name of the delegate, his/her country, and the committee — Be in a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman) with a 12-point font size and 1-inch document margins — Not include illustrations, diagrams, decorations, national symbols, watermarks, or page borders — Include citations and a bibliography, in any format, giving due credit to the sources used in research (not included in the 1-page limit) Due Dates and Submission Procedure Position papers for this committee must be submitted by midnight on January 8th, 2017. Once your position paper is complete, please save the file as your last name, your first name and send it as an attachment in an email, to your committee’s email address, with the subject heading as your last name, your first name — Position Paper. Please do not add any other attachments to the email or write anything else in the body. Both your position papers should be combined into a single PDF or Word document file; position papers submitted in another format will not be accepted. Each position paper will be manually reviewed and considered for the Best Position Paper award. The email address for this committee is [email protected]. African Union VMUN 2017 Background Guide 2 Table of Contents The Rise of al-Shabaab ................................................................................................................. 4 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Timeline .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Historical Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 5 Current Situation ................................................................................................................................... 7 UN and International Involvement ....................................................................................................... 9 Possible Solutions ................................................................................................................................... 9 Bloc Positions ....................................................................................................................................... 10 North Africa ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Somalia and Nigeria ......................................................................................................................................... 11 AMISOM Members .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Somaliland and Eritrea ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Discussion Questions ........................................................................................................................... 11 Additional Resources ........................................................................................................................... 12 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Conflict in the Western Sahara .................................................................................................. 14 Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Timeline ................................................................................................................................................ 15 Historical Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 16 Current Situation ................................................................................................................................. 19 Past UN/International Involvement .................................................................................................... 23 Controversies ........................................................................................................................................ 24 Possible Solutions ................................................................................................................................. 24 Bloc Positions ....................................................................................................................................... 26 Algeria, Libya, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ...................................................................... 26 Countries who support Morocco’s claim ...................................................................................................... 26 Maghreb States .................................................................................................................................................. 26 Supporters of the Sahrawi Claim .................................................................................................................... 26 Neutral States ....................................................................................................................................................