While Morocco achieved its independence from the French in 1956, Western Sahara remained under Spanish control. In 1958, the colonial administration there announced that Western Sahara was a Spanish province. In 1975, the Spanish departure opened the door for Morocco to annex Western Sahara to its territory. The American descent post-9/11 and its geopolitical recession post-2011 pitted the U.S. against China in the region through Western Sahara. In this respect, recognizing Western Sahara's right to self-determination would only clear out colonialism and lead to hope for an Arab Maghreb Union.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 24, 2020 21:11 UTC