For nearly half a century, Western Sahara has been at the center of one of the world’s longest-running territorial disputes. Since 1973, the Polisario Front has sought independence for the sparsely populated territory, which Morocco and Mauritania claimed following Spain’s withdrawal as a colonial power. What began as a struggle over self-determination has evolved into a complex conflict with enduring political, economic, and regional implications, leaving the Sahrawi people’s future unresolved and the territory’s status uncertain.
How A Legal Ruling Fueled Western Sahara's Conflict
On October 16, 1975, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an Advisory Opinion on Western Sahara. While the court acknowledged certain legal ties of allegiance between some Saharan tribes and the Sultan of Morocco, as well as Mauritania, it concluded that these connections did not constitute territorial sovereignty and were insufficient to override the principle
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