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The Last Colony: Theoretical Explanations On The Protractedness Of The Western Sahara Conflict, Elisabeth H. Austrheim

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

“There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited” (Tzu 1963: 73).

The forty-eight yearlong Western Sahara conflict over the former Spanish colony between Polisario and the Kingdom of Morocco continues its low prospects of resolution. The future of the territory, with both strategic geopolitical and financial relevance, remains uncertain in which the reasons for the continued prolongation appear to be many. Different conflict theories emphasise various factors causing protractedness, suggesting that many different causes, together, have engendered the current lack of settlement. Whilst the theory of protracted social conflicts emphasises developed high-tensioned, hostile relations between …