Natural resource exploitation in Western Sahara

Natural resource exploitation in Western Sahara

Joanna Allan and Raquel Ojeda-García review the fast-growing research on the exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources, written by academics, NGOs and activists. They searched databases in English and Spanish, added French and Arabic work and colleagues’ suggestions, and analysed around 93 studies by discipline and theme.

They find that legal scholarship is the largest body of work, and that most legal studies conclude that resource exploitation carried out with Morocco is illegal or legally doubtful, mainly because the Sahrawi people have not consented. Historical and NGO work concentrates on phosphates, while legal and political studies focus mostly on fisheries. The EU’s trade agreements with Morocco and the court cases they led to receive the most attention.

The authors identify clear gaps. There is little anthropology or cultural research, and little is known about how renewable energy projects and water depletion affect Sahrawi nomadic life, or about the risks faced by Sahrawi activists who campaign on resources. They argue that the return to armed conflict in November 2020 makes this research more urgent.

Full article

Read the full article on Taylor & Francis Online

Support our work