th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2018| 10 ​ Annual Session ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Forum: Security Council ​ ​ Issue: The Situation in West Sahara ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Student Officer: Gautam Raj ​ ​ ​ ​ Position: Deputy Chair ​ ​ Introduction For the last many years West Sahara has been at the center of a territorial dispute leading to an ongoing conflict leading to political unrest and human displacement from the region. West Sahara is a ​ sparsely-populated country located on the northwest coast of Africa with Algeria in the east, Morocco in the north and Mauritania to the south. The people of West Sahara are referred to as Sahrawis and are nomads who dismissed the idea of being ruled by a central authoritative figure. They are a sub-group of the Moor tribe who are of African descent. West Sahara has the most valued fishing region in the world. Resources such as crude oil are found in this region and one of the richest phosphate industries in the world is found here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ In 1884 there was an international conference called the Berlin Conference. The sole purpose of this conference was splitting the lands of Africa among the colonial powers. Spain was the colonial power that colonized West Sahara. This was heavily opposed by the Sahrawi people who wanted total independence. This led to conflicts between the Sahrawi and Spain. The UN intervened and made several attempts to ensure Spain withdrew from the region including holding a referendum which Spain did not attend. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 1514 which granted people who were ruled by colonial powers the right to self-determination. Spain asserted its authority over West Sahara causing Sahrawis to create a movement that fought for the right to independence and self-determination referred to as POLISARIO or Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The Spanish continued asserting its power until 1957 when Morocco made historical claims to the region and later Mauritania also made claims on the region. Negotiations took place between the three states and in 1976 Spain withdrew from the region. West Sahara now belonged to Morocco due to these negotiations. The fight for independence and self-determination had not ceased following these events. The neighboring regions of West Sahara had played a role in either aiding or supporting POLISARIO or Research Report | Page 1 of 15 ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2018| 10 ​ Annual Session ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the Moroccans. Twenty percent of the West Saharan region is controlled by POLISARIO while the other eighty percent is controlled by Morocco. For many years Morocco and POLISARIO have rivaled over the West Saharan region and the right for West Sahara to be an independent region in an armed conflict. The situation has only gotten worse and there was no progress made in solving the issue. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Definition of Key Terms ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ POLISARIO Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (POLISARIO) is a movement created by the Sahrawi people who fought against Spain for West Sahara’s independence and currently rivals Morocco. The group was created in 1971 but established itself in 1973 and was created by El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed. ​ ​ ​ ​ Sahrawi The local people of West Sahara who are nomads. They do not believe in having any authoritative figure to rule them. They are a sub-group of the Moors who are a mix Arab, Berber and African descent that speak a certain dialect of Arabic known as Hassaniya Arabic. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Territorial Dispute ​ ​ Territorial disputes are disagreements over a territory or region between two countries that have made claims to the land and each believe that the region being disagreed on belongs to one of them. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ MINURSO The United Nations Mission of the Referendum in West Sahara (MINURSO) was a solution from Security Council Resolution 690. MINURSO was a mission with the aim of ensuring a ceasefire between the two states, holding a referendum for West Sahara and aiding the Sahrawi refugees. The resolution th was passed on the 9 ​ of April in 1991. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Madrid Accords ​ ​ A set of agreements made by Spain, Mauritania and Morocco that allowed Morocco and Mauritania to colonize West Sahara and allowed Spain to receive the economic benefits of West Sahara, such as the fishing rights and access to the phosphate industry. The accords were made following King th Hassan of Morocco’s Green March and was signed on the 15 ​ of November in 1975. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Research Report | Page 2 of 15 ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2018| 10 ​ Annual Session ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Green March ​ ​ The Green March was a march conducted by 524,000 Moroccans on the border of Morocco and West Sahara. The Green March occurred on the 6th of November in 1975. The march occurred following ​ the false claims made by Morocco and following the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision to hold a referendum. ​ ​ CORCAS Royal Consultative Council of Saharan Affairs or CORCAS was an organization that was re-established by King Mohammed VI in 2006. It was given the role of creating an autonomy plan for West Sahara. ​ ​ Autonomy Plan ​ ​ According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary autonomy is defined as “the quality or state of being self-governing: the right of self-government” and as “self-directing freedom”. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Self-Determination Self-determination is defined as the rights of people to choose their own political stance including independent external relations and preference in the formation of government. According to Collins dictionary It is the right for a country to attain dependence without having any influences. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Referendum According to the Cambridge dictionary a referendum is defined as a vote involving all people of a country or a region to voice their opinion on a political or social matter revolving around the country. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ United Nations High Commission for Refugees ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is an UN organization that aims to aid refugees by helping to seek asylum and ensuring refugees have shelter. The organization is also referred to as the UN Refugee Agency. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Organization of African Unity ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Organization of African Unity (OAU) is a postcolonial African organization that was founded by 32 countries including the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). It was founded on the 25th of May in ​ Research Report | Page 3 of 15 ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2018| 10 ​ Annual Session ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1963. The organization would later be established as the African Union (AU). The organization’s aim was to encourage unity, help improve the lives of Africans and eradicate colonialism in Africa. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Key Issues ​ ​ Spain’s Colonization ​ ​ The 1884 Conference of Berlin saw a turning point for the African countries. The conference took place for the sole purpose of splitting up the lands of Africa among the colonial powers. Spain colonized West Sahara renaming it Spanish Sahara. The Sahrawi people opposed Spain as the nomads had never had any form of authority. In 1960, Resolution 1514 was passed and gave the right to self-determination to colonial powers and people which meant that African countries were becoming decolonized. Spain showed no interest to give up its power over West Sahara causing the UN to hold a referendum in 1966 about self-determination for the Sahrawi people. Spain ignored the call for referendum which resulted in the Sahrawi people expressing their desire to be an independent region. The desire resulted in a group of students led by El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed to begin a movement in 1971. The movement was caught by the Spanish police causing the students to flee into the desert where the movement was established in May of 1973. The movement was called Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro or POLISARIO. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Morocco’s Claim to the Land ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ For a short a period West Sahara had attained independence which was taken away in 1957 when Morocco made historical claims to the land. Simultaneously Mauritania made claims to the region causing a territorial dispute between the two countries. Spain held a referendum for the Sahrawi people to decide and vote either to be ruled by Morocco, Mauritania or to gain total independence. Morocco appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to recognize the historical claim in order to postpone the referendum. The UN launched a mission to see and hear the views of the Sahrawi people and concluded that they wanted independence. The ICJ called for the referendum to be re-held after concluding that the historical claims were false. On November 6 1975, King Hassan of Morocco held a march on the border of Morocco and West Sahara consisting of 524,000 unarmed