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URFFDQJRYHUQPHQWLVVWLOOXQFRPIRUWDEOHZLWK$OJHULDQ DVVXPSWLRQVRILWVKHJHPRQLFUROHLQVLGHWKHUHJLRQ 1RUGRHVHLWKHUVWDWHRSHUDWHZLWKLQDGLSORPDWLFYDFXXP 0RURFFRKDVWUDGLWLRQDOO\EHHQDSUR:HVWHUQEXOZDUN $OJHULDRQWKHRWKHUKDQGKDVEXLOWLWVLQWHUQDWLRQDO LQ1RUWK$IULFDDQGWKHZLGHU$UDEZRUOGSDUWLFXODUO\ GXULQJWKH&ROG:DUDQGKDVDVDUHVXOWWUDGLWLRQDOO\ Ironically enough, Morocco has recourse to paragraph 6 of EHQH¿WHGIURP$PHULFDQDQG(XURSHDQVXSSRUW7KH the resolution, which denies self-determination if it disrupts the pre- :HVWHUQ6DKDUDLVVXHGLGLWLVWUXHFUHDWHVRPHHPEDU- colonial integrity of a state, to justify its claim to the Western Sahara. In fact, the exception was only intended to apply to small enclaves UDVVPHQWEXWDSDUWIURPLQLWLDOUHWLFHQFHRQWKHSDUWRI separated by colonialist practice, such as Cabinda in Angola. WKH&DUWHUDGPLQLVWUDWLRQLQWKHVDQGLQQHZO\ GHPRFUDWLF6SDLQRWKHU(XURSHDQVWDWHVKDYHWHQGHGWR 2 The so-called “Blue Water Convention” This assumes that VHHNFRPSURPLVHRYHUWKHLVVXHDQGKDYHLQFUHDVLQJO\ Europe’s and the United States sovereignty has already been reified in OHDQHGWRZDUGV0RURFFDQSUHIHUHQFHV7KLVKDVFDXVHG stable states, so that issues of self-determination only arise amongst VRPHHPEDUUDVVPHQWRYHU(XURSHDQ¿VKLQJSROLF\DQG former colonies and in the developing world. March 2009 Western Sahara: Conflict Without End? LQWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQVOHJDODGYLVRUKDGWRUXOHWKDW tions and arrests there.<HWHYHQDIWHUPRUHWKDQWKLUW\ D0RURFFDQRLOH[SORUDWLRQFRQWUDFWZDVLOOHJDOEHFDXVH \HDUVWKH0RURFFDQPRQDUFK\IRUUHDVRQVRIGRPHVWLF WKH:HVWHUQ6DKDUDZDVDFFRUGLQJWRWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQV VXSSRUWFDQQRWDEDQGRQLWVGHPDQGVIRUUHFRJQLWLRQRI VWLOODQRQVHOIJRYHUQLQJWHUULWRU\DVGH¿QHGLQ its sovereign annexation.,QGHHG0RURFFREHOLHYHVWKDW ZKHQ6SDLQZDVDSSRLQWHGWKHDGPLQLVWUDWLYHSRZHUD LWVJRDOLVLQVLJKWLIRQO\LQWHUQDWLRQDOVXSSRUWFDQEH