Conflict in Western Sahara: a question of water

In light of recent events, I have decided to focus the next post on the end of the ceasefire declared by Morocco in Western Sahara.

 

Figure 1: Western Sahara (Al Jezeera, 2020)

Western Sahara’s history is very complex. Spain colonised Western Sahara and officially withdrew from the region in 1975 (Bhatia, 2007). After retreating, Spain divided the territory between Morocco, who controlled two thirds of Western Sahara, and Mauritania who later withdrew from the region in 1979.

 

The annexation of Western Sahara by Morocco and Mauritania resulted in Sahrawis claiming the right to an independent state, and established the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic (SDAR) in 1976. The Sahrawis hence embarked on a guerrilla war to end the presence of Morocco in the region which forced many Sahrawis to flee the area and settle in Algerian camps (Bhatia, 2007). 

In 1991, a UN cease-fire suspended this war and deployed the UN Mission for a Referendum in the Western Sahara (MINURSO) to deal with the status of the region. Although MINURSO decreed that the status of the territory would be decided through self-determination, the referendum for self-determination has to this day still not come about (Minurso, 2020).

Despite the presence of a cease-fire, Sahrawis have received unfair treatment since 1975. Many Sahrawis have been imprisoned, tortured, raped, and killed while resisting the Moroccan occupation (Perez-Martin, 2014). Sahrawis have faced fake trials and illegal incarceration, ending up in prisons classified as grave for the living (ibid). Below are testimonies of a Sahrawi activist -Taki Machdoufi- and other citizens that have faced fake trials and confessions forced by Moroccan police (warning: sensitive content) (Video 1).  

Video 1: Morocco/Western Sahara: Dubious Confessions, Tainted Trials (Human Rights Watch, 2013)

Morocco broke the 29-year-old cease-fire on Friday 13th November 2020 after three weeks of Sahrawi peaceful protests. On this day, Morocco conducted a military operation in Guerguerat after the Sahrawis blocked the road that enabled Morocco access to Mauritania and the rest of Subsaharan Africa (Fig. 1) (Manzanarro, 2020). The Sahrawis considered this route illegal and demonstrated for their right to self-determination (Fig. 2). 

 

Figure 2: Sahrawis demonstrating for their right to self-determination

 

Why does Morocco so badly want to occupy Western Sahara?

 

Because Western Sahara is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the West Coast, the region has multiple water assets. These assets come from upwelling processes that usually take place along windy coastlines and result from the 'welling up' of deep cold waters to the surface (Allan, 2016)(Fig. 3). The rise of deep waters brings about rich sediments such as phosphate deposits or other nutriments which make excellent living conditions for fish (NOAA, 2020).

Figure 4: Upwelling process (NOAA, 2020) Phosphate deposits are highly sought because they are non-renewable and widely used as fertilisers in the agricultural sector (Allan, 2016). Western Sahara hosts one of the largest phosphate mines in the world: the Bou Craa site. This site produces 14% of the world’s phosphate production (Earth Observatory, 2018). Another key asset of Western Sahara is its rich fishing banks. For instance, fish collection in the city of Laayoune alone (the largest city of Western Sahara) accounts for 38% of the total Moroccan fish collection (Haugen, 2007). This proportion makes up for considerable quantities of virtual water associated with financial benefits -to review benefits of virtual water, refer to my previous post on Virtual Water in North Africa. Western Sahara’s coastal waters thus bring about advantageous and sought resources: phosphate deposits and fishing banks. In 2016, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) resolution III stated that exploitation of Western Sahara's coastal waters should only be conducted if benefitting the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) (Smith, 2019). These claims have however not been respected. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) themselves conducted seabed petroleum exploration in Western Sahara under Moroccan supervision without involving the Sahrawis (ibid). Furthermore, Morocco not only illegally grants licences for research in Western Saharan seas but also negotiates fishing agreements and exploits the Bou Craa phosphate mine without consent of the Sahrawis (ibid). The right of Sahrawis on Western Saharan territory has hence not been respected by the United Nations nor Morocco.

 

The lack of support and recognition by states and international institutions leaves the status of the Sahrawis once more marginalised and ignored, as has been happening for the last four decades.