A new push to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara
Expectations are low
IN THE SAHARA, rain is said to bring good luck. So negotiators from the United Nations should be encouraged by a recent downpour in Laayoune, the capital of Western Sahara. On December 5th they will gather in Geneva to try, yet again, to resolve the differences between Morocco, which rules two-thirds of the territory, and the Polisario Front, a nationalist movement that controls the other (mostly inhospitable) third. Since Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1975, upon Spain’s withdrawal, Polisario has fought for its independence.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The sands time forgot”
Middle East & Africa December 1st 2018
From the December 1st 2018 edition
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