Self‐determination in the Western Sahara: Legal opportunities and political roadblocks

Abstract

This article examines the interplay of international law and politics in the Western Sahara's struggle for self‐determination. The law of self‐determination, including the specific precepts for holding a referendum on independence in the Western Sahara, provided a framework within which political action and discourse were bounded. Political commitment at two levels ‐ international support for the underlying legal principles and the conflicting parties’ political will to implement the legal solution ‐affected the outcome within the international law frame. Alternating periods of impasse and opportunity highlight the role of political change at both levels as a catalyst for moving towards the prescribed legal solution. Understanding how international law and politics interact is important as the concept of self‐determination expands into broader and more complicated contexts.