Self-determination And Natural Resources

Question 1

What is self determination?

Answer 1

The process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own government

Question 2

Give a brief history of the governance of the Western Sahara

Answer 2

A Spanish colony since 1885
The process of decolonisation was halted by the Moroccan invasion
Now considered a non-self-governing territory and a referendum for self-determination is pending

Question 3

What fuelled the conflict in Western Sahara?

Answer 3

It’s extensive natural resources

Question 4

When did Spain withdraw from the territory?

Answer 4

In 1975, but they didn’t formally decolonise: according the the UN, they never legally teenager red sovereignty, so we’re still the administrating power of w Sahara

Question 5

Who dismissed moroccos claim over the territory?

Answer 5

The International Court of Justice

Question 6

What happened in October 1975

Answer 6

The first armed conflicts between Moroccan forces and the Polisario (the sahawari indigenous front) begun

Question 7

What happened in November 1975

Answer 7

350,000 Moroccans walked into the territory and faced no Spanish resistance

Question 8

How long was the conflict between Morocco, Mauritania, and the Polisario front?

Answer 8

1975-1988

Question 9

What did the conflict lead to?

Answer 9

Approximately half the sahawari population were forced to migrate to the desert area resulting thousands of refugees in camps

1976: the sahawari Arab democratic republic, a refugee camp based ‘state-in-exile” was born

Question 10

Who runs the refugee camps?

Answer 10

The Polisario and the SADR, but they are all at entirely dependent on humanitarian aid provided by international organisations

Question 11

What is a non-self-governing territory?

Answer 11

A territory “whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government”

In 2014, w Sahara was listed by the UN as a non-self-governing territory

Question 12

How is government organised in a non-self-governing territory?

Answer 12

And administrating power is called to:

• safeguard and guarantee the rights of the people to their natural resources
• ensure economic activities do not adversely affect the interests of the people
• and instead assist them in achieving their right to self-determination

Question 13

What did the 1962 UN general assembly resolution affirm?

Answer 13

Permanent sovereignty over natural resources

Question 14

What abundant resources does the Western Sahara have?

Answer 14

Phosphate
Fish
Oil

Question 15

Who illegally exploits phosphates in Western Sahara?

Answer 15

Morocco
Currently the world’s leading exporter of phosphates
Eg the bu-craa mine is controlled by Morocco

Question 16

How much known reserves does the bu-craa mine have?

Answer 16

Around 132 million tonnes

Question 17

How does Europe support moroccos exploitation of Western Sahara fishery resources?

Answer 17

The EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership

Western Sahara represents a significant proportion of moroccos reported fish catch

Question 18

How could Europe help solve the problem?

Answer 18

They could exclude Western Sahara waters from the fisheries agreement with Morocco

Putting pressure on Morocco to move towards a peace plan

Question 19

How many different oil companies have terminated contracts with Morocco?

Answer 19

8

Question 20

What percentage of moroccos foreign currency income comes from the phosphate trade?

Answer 20

70%

Question 21

Why is the resource extraction illegal?

Answer 21

Morocco are not recognising the saharawis right to self-determination

Resource extraction can only occur legally if it aids the indigenous peoples right to self-determination

Question 22

Who is technically still in charge of the Western Sahara?

Answer 22

Spain: therefore they should be responsible for ensuring its citizens interests are upheld