Western Sahara: The last African territory awaiting decolonization. Plus Algeria’s civil war & Libya

In December outgoing president Donald trump pulled one more shocking foreign policy decision when he recognized Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel.

Western Sahara has been disputed since the Spanish withdrew in 1975 and the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario front, an armed liberation movement, continued until the 1991 ceasefire.

Last year the Polisario Front, which is backed by neighboring Algeria, declared the ceasefire over. Most recently, the Moroccans expressed fury after the leader of the Polisario Front was given medical treatment in Spain, and the Moroccans retaliated by unleashing refugees into Spanish territory.

Jacob Mundy is an associate professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at Colgate University.

He has recently published a report for the European Council on Foreign Relations, where he’s a visiting fellow, proposing creating new solutions to the decades old problem, entitled: “Free to choose: A new plan for peace in Western Sahara.”

He joined Rania Khalek’s program Dispatches to discuss this and other areas of his expertise, including Libya and Algeria.

» Become a patron

--------------------------------

» Like us on Facebook

» Tweet us on Twitter

» Follow us on Instagram

At Breakthrough News we believe in the power of independent media. Five mega-corporations dominate the media landscape — controlling 90% of what we read, watch and listen to. They control the news cycle, to which social media and even most “alternative” media is forced to respond. We are breaking through that cycle.

We tell the untold stories of resistance from poor and working-class communities — because out of these stories we will construct a different narrative of the world, as it is and in real time.

People’s movements in every corner of the globe are changing history and shifting consciousness. But these movements barely receive any coverage from the corporate media. They need visibility. They need amplification. They need a media arm to break through.

We can be that media arm, but only with your help. Become a Patron and join us on the front lines in the battle of ideas.

Subscribe and follow us! @BTNewsroom

#WesternSahara #Africa #Morocco #BreakThroughNews #BTnews #socialistnews #socialist #raniakhalek #eugenepuryear