| Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution Subjects: Western Sahara -- History -- 1975–; Western Sahara -- Politics and government -- 1975–; Western Sahara -- Ethnic relations; Western Sahara -- International status; Nationalism -- Western Sahara; Peace-building -- Western Sahara; Sahrawi (African people); The Western Sahara conflict has proven to be one of the most protracted and intractable struggles facing the international community. Pitting local nationalist determination against Moroccan territorial ambitions, the dispute is further complicated by regional tensions with Algeria and the geo-strategic concerns of major global players, including the United States, France, and the territory's former colonial ruler, Spain. Since the early 1990s, the UN Security Council has failed to find a formula that will delicately balance these interests against Western Sahara's long-denied right to a self-determination referendum as one of the last UN-recognized colonies. Stephen Zunes is professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism among other books and has written scores of articles and books chapters on Middle Eastern and North Africa politics, U.S. foreign policy, and unarmed civil insurrections. |