The Razor’s Edge: The Western Sahara Conflict as a Geopolitical Antagonism in the Algerian Morrocan Relations

Abstract

This article explores the origins of the Western Sahara conflict, and the contrasting interpretations of the factors which have kept it as an unresolved conflict after Spanish forces withdrew in 1975. This article shows how Algeria and Morocco continue to disagree on even the most basic facts of the dispute's history, and suggests that the continuation of the dispute is the result of conflicting models of statehood and historical narratives. Also, it explores ways in which developing concepts within political geography have contributed to understanding the ongoing significance of the region for all the parties to the conflict. Additionally, this paper argues that the contemporary contours of the Western Sahara conflict cannot be seen divorced from the larger geopolitical and balance of power developments in the Maghreb region. Algeria- Morocco relations in general and the Western Sahara conflict in particular are not only influenced by the local political, security and social dynamics, but also by the larger systemic and sub-systemic imperatives.