Perspectives on western sahara provides indepth and wellbalanced analysis on a longterm international dispute, and in a broad region sahel where multiple crisis are strongly connected. While spain was the colonial ruler of the territory of western sahara, it did not have effective control over the people of the area. Tony hodges western sahara was formerly known as spanish sahara and was a colony, then province, until 1975, when it was divided between mauritania and morocco. Pazzanita, historical dictionary of western sahara, third edition. It borders on the atlantic ocean in the west, on morocco in the north, on algeria in the northeast, and on mauritania in the east and south. History and the algerian fallacy kenitra in case you dont know the place, the socalled western sahara is a territory on the west coast of africa. The au had recognised the western sahara or sahrawi arab democratic republic sadr as an independent nation back in 1982 and morocco wasnt happy about it. Historical dictionary of the republic of cameroon mark dike delancey, rebecca neh mbuh, mark w. Africa south of the sahara to the first world war 269 roman loimeier part ii independence and revivalc. It is a territory of northwestern africa, bordered by morocco to the north, algeria in the northeast, mauritania to the east and south, and the atlantic ocean on the west. The historical commitment sweden should remember 03 oct the apparent decision of the swedish government stirred up outrage in morocco and prompted the moroccan government to react with firmness and hint at its readiness to retaliate against stockholm.
The saharawi people who live in the western sahara are largely descended from arab tribes who moved into the area in the fifteenth century, and established themselves definitively with victory over the indigenous sanhaja berbers in the 164474 char bouba war. The question of sovereignty in the western sahara conflict. Western sahara is a sparselypopulated area of mostly desert situated on the northwest coast of africa. A region of northwest africa on the atlantic coast. More than 30 years after the war began, the displacement of large numbers of people and a ceasefire in 1991 that froze military positions, its end remains remote. Bayles dictionary is one of the best known and most influential works of the eighteenth century. Historical dictionary of somalia new edition mohamed haji mukhtar african historical dictionary series, no. Its merciless scientific and philosophical enquiring challenged all assumpti. In a book that may lead scholars to reimagine the concept of western civilization, incorporating the role north african peoples played in shaping the west, phillip naylor. Historical dictionary of western sahara book, 1994. Nonetheless, many berbers still speak tamazight or berber today. The first edition of this dictionary, published in 1982, brought together for the first time information on the regional conflict and attempts at resolution, as well as background on western saharas history, politics, economy, society and culture. Sahara occidental is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the maghreb region of north and west africa, partially controlled by the selfproclaimed sahrawi arab democratic republic and partially occupied by neighboring morocco.
Set during the height of the cold war, the western sahara conflict saw western powers back morocco and the african union and nonaligned movement rally to polisario where soviet influence was more indirect. History of western sahara and spanish colonisation macharia munene united states international university, nairobi introduction a look at the history of what became western sahara, reveals that the legal issue is one of decolonisation. Akinlaud a sahara wikipedia, ti nawaya nga ensiklopedia. This new edition of the historical dictionary of somaliareplaces an earlier edition. Hodges has followed angolan developments since his first visit to the country in 1975. Timeline of western sahara iara lee life is waiting. The western sahara conflict is both one of the worlds oldest and one of its most neglected. Carter, anne ciecko, gayatri devi, iman hamam, helga tawilsouri, mark r.
Paradoxically, however, the regions historical significance has been chronically underestimated. The polisario front has challenged moroccos control over the. History of the sahara synonyms, history of the sahara pronunciation, history of the sahara translation, english dictionary definition of history of the sahara. Sahara a vast desert of northern africa extending east from the atlantic coast to the red sea and south from.
Its people, the saharawi, are a hybrid nation also found in neighbouring algeria, morocco, and mauritania. Historical dictionary of western sahara historical dictionaries of africa 9780810855403. Earlier this year, it rejoined the panafrican body. Retrospect and prospect, nehru memorial museum, new dehli, may 23, 1997, 5 p. Empires are more judged than understood, and modernity is more an imagined than a precisely defined phenomenon. Historical dictionary of western sahara historical. A former spanish colony, it was annexed by morocco in 1975. Historical dictionary of western sahara, third edition. The territory remained disputed between morocco and local forces well into the 21st century. Several of these nationstates did not even exist earlier and if they did exist.
In the decades after the war, france spun off about two dozen countries, including. Extending more than 3,000 mi 4,830 km, from the atlantic ocean to the red sea, the sahara is bounded on the n by the atlas mts. Pdf although a peace plan was accepted by morocco and the polisario in. Report by the secretarygeneral, s25170, 26 january 1993, pp. Though few historical records are left from that period, western saharas modern history has its roots linked to some nomadic groups living under berber tribal rule and in contact with the roman empire such as the sanhaja group, and the introduction of islam and. Sparsely settled primarily by berbers, the region was claimed as a protectorate by spain in 1884 and. Notes on islam as a political factor in contemporary africa. This new edition of the historical dictionary of somaliareplaces an earlier edition, written in happier times, and brings the story up to date. The western sahara is the only united nationsdeclared nonselfgoverning territory remaining in africa. Western sahara, territory occupying an extensive desert atlanticcoastal area of northwest africa. It became a protectorate of spain in the 19th century and was later claimed by morocco, mauritania, and local inhabitants. This collective book is composed of various contributions from wellrecognized serious experts coming from various horizons and nationalities. A history of the western sahara conflict pambazuka news.
Limited use in morocco and algeria for northern berber. Referendum and resistance in western sahara western sahara is the last chapter of a story that began in the wake of world war ii, when the worlds colonial empires started to break apart. Pazzanita and tony hodges 1994, historical dictionary of western sahara, scarecrow press isbn 0810826615 external links. History of the sahara article about history of the. Historical dictionary of western sahara book, 1982. Historical dictionary of the western sahara and from. The main protagonists were morocco, which claimed the territory as an integral part of its historical patrimony, and the algerianbacked polisario independence movement.
Western sahara definition of western sahara by the free. Conflict over control of western sahara, a former spanish colony in northwest africa contention over the control of western sahara began on the eve of spains withdrawal in february 1976. Tony hodges western sahara was a former spanish colony until 1975, when spain withdrew its forces. Historical dictionary of the western sahara and from socialism to islam. Cambridge university press in the age of western dominance. Sahara occidental, is a disputed territory in north africa, bordered by morocco to the north, algeria to the northeast, mauritania to the east and south, and the atlantic ocean to the west. The western sahara is located at the northwest bend of north africa, just south of morocco, west of algeria, and northwest of mauritania. They speak an arabic dialect called hassania, which is much the same as that spoken in mauritania, and somewhat different from the. Pazzanita is a researcher and writer on north africa and western sahara. Hodges, historical dictionary of the western sahara, metuchen nj. Historical dictionary of western sahara, third edition article in the journal of north african studies 153. In western sahara, a forgotten struggle the washington post video, 12 july 20.
Banned in catholic france on first publication in 1697 it became a bestseller and ran into several editions and translations. Scarecrow press 1994 toby shelley, endgame in the western sahara zed books 2004. So on december, 1974, the united nations general assembly passed its resolution 3292, which requested an advisory opinion of the icg on the following questions. The roots of a desert war, lawrence hill books isbn 0882081527 anthony g. Morocco reasserted its sovereignty over the territory after spain withdrew its colonial interests from the area in 1975. List of books and articles about western sahara conflict. Between the northern coastlands and equatorial africa is the sahara desert. Western sahara is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. Spain acquired its sovereignty over western sahara not because it was a land without an owner, terra nullius, but through agreements concluded with local rulers. He worked for united states agencies in angola from 1994 to 1998. Westmoreland historical dictionaries of literature and the arts, no. It then started to dry up, much of it remaining habitable until about 2000 b. Western sahara synonyms, western sahara pronunciation, western sahara translation, english dictionary definition of western sahara.
The sovereignty of the western sahara remains the subject of a dispute between morocco and the polisario front, a separatist group based in southern algeria. Although slaverys greatest impact occurred with the arrival of europeans in africa, the slave trade had taken root as early as the fifth century ad and had moved from tropical africa to the mediterranean basin and arabia by the seventh century ad. The territory remained disputed between morocco and local forces well into the. Yet throughout the history of the western sahara contest, several of qadhafis. Historical background of western sahara the settlement of boundary disputes and territorial claims has been a major problem in the afroasian world since the formation of new nationstates after second world war. The western sahara and the search for the roots of sahrawi. Another example from the 1970s takes us to the northwestern corner of africa in the middle of the diplomatic game between the spanish and the moroccans over western sahara. North africa has been a vital crossroads throughout history, serving as a connection between africa, asia, and europe. The early inhabitants of the sahara were probably a mixture of berbers and negroes. The first edition of this dictionary, published in 1982, brought together for the first time information on the regional conflict and attempts at resolution, as well as background on western sahara s history, politics, economy, society and culture. Historical dictionary of middle eastern cinema terri ginsberg chris lippard with contributions by. The western sahara conflict also resonated at the international level.
990 778 799 506 676 1190 1519 621 1365 1485 690 1191 757 1505 737 1546 986 719 1551 903 816 641 396 811 210 402 766 926 1073 1485 150 1238 1209 965 939 321 558 219 666