The Western Saharan problem on the 40th anniversary of declaring independence 1976-2016 – open lecture: an account from the meeting with Professor Robert Kłosowicz of the Jagiellonian University

On 1^st June 2016 in the Seminary Room of the Jagiellonian University Auditorium Maximum, a meeting took place with Prof. Robert Kłosowicz entitled  “The Western Saharan problem on the 40^th anniversary of declaring independence 1976-2016”. The meeting, organized by the Jagiellonian University International Relations Student Society and the Jagiellonian Centre for African Studies, took the form of a lecture ending with a discussion.

27^th February 2016 was the 40^th anniversary of proclaiming the independence of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic  (SADR). Over the years, the state has been officially recognised by 80 other state entities (some of which have since revoked or “suspended” their recognition), as well as being acknowledged by the largest organisation on the African continent – the African Union, in which SADR holds full membership. The anniversary was the perfect occasion for reflecting on the current state of Saharan independence and on the future of the contentious territory.

During his lecture, Prof. Kłosowicz presented the history of the Western Saharan territory, colonised by Spain, as well as discussing the SADR’s current international situation, especially taking into account regional factors – including neighbouring Algeria’s huge involvement in the Saharan issue. A number of photographs from Prof. Kłosowicz’s two research trips were also presented – field trips conducted in 2013 in Western Sahara, when it was occupied by Morocco, as well as research done in 2016 in Saharan refugee camps in Algeria, near the town of Tindouf. Prof. Kłosowicz drew attention to the issue of mineral resources, which are abundant in the Western Saharan territory occupied by Morocco – including one of the largest phosphorite deposits, as well as crude oil deposits discovered in the Atlantic shelf on the Western Saharan coast, not to mention the iron, vanadium, zinc ore, titanium, potassium, copper and uranium deposits. It seems that this is one of the main factors blocking the road to Western Sahara’s independence. The occupation of this territory by Morocco in 1975 considerably improved the Kingdom’s poor economic situation at the time. The Western Saharan issue was not solved by subsequent rounds of peace negotiations, conducted with some interruptions as of the end of the war with Morocco in 1991 or by the presence of the UN peace mission – MINURSO (Mission des Nations Unies pour l'Organisation d'un Référendum au Sahara Occidental), which aimed to bring about a referendum that would have had a decisive influence on Western Sahara’s future. However, its date was repeatedly postponed, and as a result of the fiasco of the negotiations between the conflicted sides and growing issues in dispute, it is dubious whether the referendum will ever take place. Prof. Kłosowicz also indicated the consequences of the events linked to the so-called Arab Spring, noting the frequently omitted fact that the wave of protests that swept across the Arab world in 2010-2013 actually began on the Western Saharan territory occupied by Morocco – where in November 2010, in Gdeim Izik not far from Laâyoune (El Aaiún), 25 thousand Saharans protested peacefully, while their demonstration was brutally suppressed by the Moroccan security forces.

Those present at the lecture could also become acquainted with the traditional attire worn by Saharan men – the daraa. This is a type of wide male tunic, usually blue or white. The specimen presented at the lecture had been brought to Poland by Prof. Kłosowicz from the Saharan camps near Tindouf. Thanks to the one of the members of the Society, the audience could admire what someone wearing a daraa actually looked like. The discussion that was initiated after the lecture oscillated around issues linked to the organisation of the Saharan state, in which to a large extent the government does not control most of the state’s territory. Nonetheless, it can still boast some success in managing the Saharan camps located in Algeria. Questions were also posed concerning the Saharans’ everyday lives in the refugee camps, and a request was made for a prognosis of the development of the political situation in the Maghreb and Sahel region and the influence this might have on the Saharan issue over the coming years.

Joanna Mormul

fot. Joanna Mormul