By: cliebling

cliebling — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:48:21 +0000

While decentralization within Morocco might make all the sense in the world, decentralization into the Western Sahara makes no sense at all. It is no small matter that Dr. Ben-Meir refrains from mentioning that the Western Sahara is an illegally occupied territory that was brutally invaded by Morocco in the seventies and that is not recognized by even one country as part of Morocco. Morocco quite simply has no right to do anything in the Western Sahara without the agreement of the Western Saharans. And the Western Saharans have made it abundantly clear that they willl not accept any Moroccan plan that does not include the right to self-determination, which means the right to choose independence. The Western Saharans have time and time again rejected Morocco’s autonomy plan and without their agreement autonomy just will not work. The only thing that keeps the lid on the territory is Morocco’s brutal totalitarian military occupation. Without any indications that the Western Saharans are amenable to being bought out by Rabat, any devolution of central authority would not make them more accepting of Moroccan rule; it would undoubtedly encourage their fight for self-determination. Since the Westen Saharans have refused to even discuss autonomy, Rabat would have to impose it and this would almost certainly be violently resisted. Dr. Ben-Meir’s notion to decentralize authority in the Western Sahara is a horrible idea.

Comments on: Morocco’s Local Elections and Decentralization

By: cliebling