The Position of the European Union on the Western Sahara Conflict
The Western Sahara conflict has been embedded in a regional struggle with international implications, involving most of the key regional actors, as well as outside powers seeking to balance their interests with all parties concerned. Thus, the Western Sahara is at the centre of any foreign policy towards the Maghreb region, and this is the case for the European Union, with France and Spain as central actors. For Europe, the historical links with and the proximity of the continent to one of the most unstable regions in the world (the Arab and Muslim worlds) require the closest attention and a strong independent foreign policy. The EU has important strategic and economic interests but also political concerns in the North Africa region. This paper focuses on the evolution of EU policy towards the conflict and the actions taken by the Member States under the influence of the key actors in this issue: France and Spain. It also aims to lay the emphasis upon the limited role of the EU due to a complex policy making-process, as well as the existence of many participants. As will be demonstrated, the weaknesses of the EU foreign policy are not only due to the structure of the Union but also as a result of each state having to defend its own interests and preserve them bilaterally. It will be argued that the conflict resolution, if conducted to its conclusion within the UN framework, would provide the EU with a capacity to resolve conflicts within the international system and an opportunity to affirm its intrinsic external policy, when its overall foreign policy appears scattered if not atomised by the different influences pursued by its member states. Considering the Maghreb's geographical proximity to Europe and the general approach to solving issues at the EU level, this could constitute a breakthrough for an external policy in the making, contrasting with the negligible influence of the EU regarding the Middle East peace process.
U.S. Interests in Promoting Security across the Sahara
Abstract Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the American homeland, the United States has made security across the Sahara, from the Mediterranean coast of North Africa to the resource-rich West African waters of the Gulf of Guinea, a significant priority. This article looks at the current status of the threat posed by the regional affiliate of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups in the region both to the states there and to the broader international community. Then it explores obstacles to American efforts to promote a comprehensive counterterrorism approach, not least among which is the decades-old dispute over the Western Sahara, which continues to drive a wedge between two of the region's most influential countries, Morocco and Algeria. Finally, recommendations for security cooperation and economic integration, which would provide a more positive environment for states across the Sahara and be consonant with U.S. interests, are offered.
La politique étrangère de l’Espagne envers le Maghreb. De l’adhésion à l’Union européenne à la guerre contre l’Iraq (1986-2004)
Depuis l’adhesion a l’Union europeenne en 1986, l’Espagne a utilise la couverture europeenne comme un tremplin pour renforcer sa presence sur la scene internationale et fermer la page de plusieurs decennies d’isolement en ce qui concerne les affaires etrangeres. Des le debut, la politique etrangere espagnole misa sur « l’exportation » vers l’agenda communautaire de ses relations avec l’Amerique Latine et avec les pays mediterraneens, ainsi que des connaissances et de l’experience acquise dans...