Desert kingdom or desert republic?

Whether Rabat cooperates with the United Nations' planned referendum on Western Sahara next July will be a key test of King Mohammed VI's political muscle. His father, King Hassan II, marched troops into the territory shortly after Spain pulled out in 1976, a move condemned by both the UN and the Organisation of African Unity. Hassan made the occupation of the Sahara a national cause and persuaded Westerners that if his troops were pushed out, the kingdom would collapse.

Article Tags:
Mohammed, Hassan, Spain, Algeria, Mauritania, Driss Basri, Abdelaziz Bouteflika

end of preview

To read the rest of the article you need to either log in or do one of the following:

Subscribe to Africa Confidential Find out more
Purchase this article on its own Find out more

If you have a print subscription already please click here for full access to the website.
If you have already logged in and believe you should have access to this article please contact customer services.