November
10, 2006: Back in 1991, Morocco finally won the war against Polisario Front
rebels, who were seeking independence for the Western Sahara (a region south of
Morocco). But the problem won't go away. Because Polisario was so
well-subsidized by Algeria, back when Algeria was a radical state, Polasario
still has enough diehards out there to keep lots of people in Western Sahara
unhappy. This provides a potential resource for al Qaeda and other Islamic
radicals.
The
UN has spent $600 million, over the last 15 years, to try and work out a final
peace deal between Polasario and Morocco. In the 1990s, Algeria cut off all
support for Polasario. But that, and UN efforts to mediate the differences,
have just not worked. The area is largely desert, and has a population of less
than 300,000. Logic would have it that the area is better off as a part of
Morocco. But there are still thousands of locals who would rather fight for
independence, than submit to Morocco. Some resistance of this is tribal, with
the Moroccans seen as another bunch of alien invaders (the area was
administered, until 1976, as a Spanish colony). If the fighting breaks out
again, possibly inspired by Islamic radicals, it could go on for years, just as
it does in many other parts of Africa, and the immediate neighborhood.
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