The Western Sahara- Morocco Conflict Analyzed Through the Language Pragmatic Approach
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‘THE LAST COLONY OF AFRICA’ THE WESTERN SAHARA- MOROCCO CONFLICT ANALYZED THROUGH THE LANGUAGE PRAGMATIC APPROACH. Bachelor Thesis 2010 BA Human Geography Radboud University Nijmegen Anna-Lena Hoh (0709174) 3rd July 2010 ‘THE LAST COLONY OF AFRICA’ THE WESTERN SAHARA- MOROCCO CONFLICT ANALYZED THROUGH THE LANGUAGE PRAGMATIC APPROACH. Written by: Anna-Lena Hoh Bachelor thesis Human Geography Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen Radboud University Nijmegen July 2010 ii ‘THE LAST COLONY OF AFRICA’ THE WESTERN SAHARA- MOROCCO CONFLICT ANALYZED THROUGH THE LANGUAGE PRAGMATIC APPROACH. Bachelor thesis Human Geography Radboud University Nijmegen Thomas van Aquinostraat 3 6525 GD Nijmegen Postbus 9108 6500 HK Nijmegen Phone: (024) 361 61 61 Fax: (024) 356 46 06 Core data Author: Anna-Lena Hoh Phone: 0031684345149 Email: [email protected] Project supervisor: Kramsch, dhr. Dr. O.T. (Olivier) Phone: 024-3612107 Email: [email protected] Thomas van Aquinostraat 3 6525 GD Nijmegen Postbus 9108 6500 HK Nijmegen iii Table of contents Table of reference…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iv Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ vi 1. Introduction: ‘The last colony of Africa’.................................................................................................. vii 1.1 Context and Relevance ................................................................................................................. vii 1.1.1 Morocco and the Western Sahara……………………..……………………………………………………….…..vii 1.1.2 The language pragmatic approach…………………………………………………………………………………...vii 1.1.3 ‘Last colony of Africa’……………………………………………………………………………………………………...viii 1.2 Research Objective ...................................................................................................................... viii 1.3 Research Model ............................................................................................................................. ix 1.4 Research Question(s) .................................................................................................................... ix 1.5 Explanation of essential terms ...................................................................................................... ix 1.6 Research Methods and Strategy .................................................................................................... x 1.7 Research Advancement .................................................................................................................. x 2. Theoretical Framework: The language pragmatic approach ................................................................... xi 2.1 Action Theory .................................................................................................................................... xi 2.1.1 Habermas instrument for analysis and critique of society and Speech Acts ............................. xi 2.1.2 Werlen: Society, Action & Space ...............................................................................................xiii 2.2 Zierhofer: The language pragmatic approach ................................................................................. xiv 3. Analysis: Morocco- Western Sahara conflict ......................................................................................... xvii 3.1 Historical overview .......................................................................................................................... xvii 3.1.1 Regional History ....................................................................................................................... xvii 3.1.1 International Influences ........................................................................................................... xxii 3.2 Actor Analysis ................................................................................................................................. xxiii 3.2.1 Western Sahara: Sahrawi, Polisario and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic ………………iv 3.2.2 Morocco …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…… iv 3.2.3 Algeria ………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………iv 3.2.4 United States of America …………………………………………………………………………………..……………..iv 3.2.5 United Nations (Minurso) ……………………………………………………………………………………………..…iv 4. Case study: Language Pragmatics in the Western Sahara ………………………………………………………………xxxvi 4.1 Language Pragmatics in the Western Sahara ………………………………………………………………………xxxvi iv 4.2. Application from Language Pragmatics on Actor’s ………………………………………………………..….xxxvii 4.2.1 Western Sahara: Sahrawi, Polisario and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic …….…v 4.2.2 Morocco …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………xli 4.2.3 Algeria……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………xliii 4.2.4 United States of America ………………………………………………………………………………………………v 4.2.5 United Nations (Minurso) …………………………………………………………………………………………….v 5. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….xlviii 6. Evaluation and Discussion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..li 6.1 Research Evaluation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….li 6.2 Recommendation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..li Bibliographic reference …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………liii Appendix 1: Abbreviations and place names ……………………………………………………………………………………….lv Abbreviations: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….lv Place names: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….lv Appendix 2: Discourse analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..lvi 2.1 Western Sahara: PROCLAMATION OF THE FIRST GOVERNMENT OF THE SAHARAWI ARAB DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Bir Lahlou, 27 February 1976 ………………………………………………………………….lvi 2.2 Western Sahara: Abdelkader Taleb Omar: We are in new phase, peace or military escalation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….lviii 2.3 Morocco: Speech by HM the King on the occasion of the Green March ………………………………….lix 2.4 Morocco: Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid interviewed by the Spanish radio station "Cadena Ser" ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..lxiv 2.5 Algeria: Fighting over the Maghreb - Algeria vs. Morocco ……………………………………………………..lxxi 2.6 United States of America: The United States, Morocco and the Western Sahara Dispute ……lxxiv 2.7 United Nations: WESTERN SAHARA: AFRICA’S LAST COLONY ………………………………………………lxxvii v Abstract ‘The last colony of Africa’ is examining the Western Saharan Morocco conflict from the viewpoint of language pragmatic theory. With action theory as background the language pragmatic approach is used to take a closer look at the (inter)actions of the actors. In the context of this thesis they are partly located within the Western Sahara, like Polisario, the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Sahrawi, as well as Morocco and the headquarter of the mission of the United Nations, and partly located outside the conflict territory, like Algeria and the United States of America. Within the Western Sahara is an ongoing unsecure geopolitical situation since 35 years. As soon as the Western Sahara gained freedom from Spain in 1975, they were directly occupied by Morocco (and (and Mauritania). Since then Morocco is occupying the territory and often regarded as ‘colonizer’. The Sahrawi still have not accepted the occupation of their neighboring country and the conflict continues. The outcome of this thesis takes a look at in how far theory and theoretical framework are applicable and tries to answer the question why the Western Saharan Moroccan conflict is still unresolved. vi 1. Introduction: ‘The last colony of Africa’ 1.1 Context and Relevance 1.1.1 Morocco and the Western Sahara As in the 1960’s most African countries gained independence, the struggle for self governance began. Two African countries then turned their selves into colonizers. Morocco and Mauretania occupied the territory of the former colony Spanish Western Sahara. They took over the role of Spain and Morocco is nowadays still in charge of ruling the territory of the Western Sahara. This caused a conflict with the people living in the territory, who call themselves Sahrawi. Some of them started a rebellion group called Polisario, Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro ("Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro", Larosch, 2007). The conflict between the Polisario and Morocco is now going on for 35 years. Within the years more groups from other countries got interested, like Algeria and the United States who tried to intervene (Larosch, 2007). To solve the conflict there had been a United Nations Intervention, which failed (Durch, 1993). Currently Morocco is still ruling over the territory of the Western Sahara and the conflict between the actors is still going on (Stephan & Mundy, 2006). The solution of the conflict is not foreseen. An effect of the ongoing complex conflict is that the international society, as well as the regional groups involved, is still fighting for their own economical and political interests. The context is clear, and the relevance of this topic is partly to put the inextricable situation on the Sahrawi back in the minds of people. 1.1.2 The language pragmatic approach In Human Geography there has been a change in thinking, from classical geographical theories of Christaller and Weber, who analyzed space in order to get to know general patterns, to the behavioral approach, which tried to differentiate