Conflict and Peace in Western Sahara

This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of MINURSO (the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), focused on its activities, composition, purpose, and operational future in Western Sahara, the world's last colony. The book's focus is broad, examining MINURSO from key historical, legal, military and political angles whilst assessing the future of UN peacekeeping missions in the Western Sahara. Supported by a diverse, international mix of perspectives and professions-including academics, lawyers, soldiers, and humanitarian aid workers-an in-depth view of MINURSO is provided, rooted in practical Western Saharan field experience. The authors reveal the complexities of the region and of the mission locally, but also analyze MINURSO through a global lens, focusing on relations with the United States, China, Russia, France, and African states. This approach emphasizes the importance of the region as a site of international struggle while remaining conscious of local contexts. A landmark contribution to peacekeeping studies, the book is vital reading for practitioners and academics focused on the Western Saharan conflict and the MENA region, but will also be of interest to those engaged in international relations, international law, and security studies.

János Besenyo is a Professor at the Doctoral School on Safety and Security Sciences and Director of the Africa Research Institute at Oìbuda University, Hungary. Between 1987 and 2018, he served as a professional soldier and served in several peace operations in Africa and Afghanistan. He received a PhD in military science from Zriìnyi Miklós National Defense University (Hungary) and a Habilitation doctorate at Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary). In 2014, he established the Scientific Research Centre of the Hungarian Defence Forces General Staff, and he was its first leader from 2014 to 2018. His most recent publication is Darfur Peacekeepers: The African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (AMIS) from the Perspective of a Hungarian Military Advisor. Joseph Huddleston is an Assistant Professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. He studies diplomacy by self-determination and secessionist groups, international responses to intrastate conflict, and war economies in protracted social conflicts. Yahia H. Zoubir is a Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. He has published works on the Western Sahara conflict for nearly 35 years, including articles in the Middle East Journal, Middle East Policy, Journal of Modern African Studies, and California Western International Law Journal.

1. Introduction: Peacekeeping Operations in Situations of Conflict: The Case of MINURSO Part I 2. An Overview of MINURSO - History, Legal Framework, Missions, Structure: A Balance 3. Relevant Events in the MINURSO History 4. The End of the Western Sahara Peace Process and the Collapse of the UN Ceasefire 5. The Legal Aspects of the Functioning of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara Part II 6. Human Rights - MINURSO Between a Rock and a Hard Place 7. Participation of Women in the MINURSO: Scope, Evolution and Factors for the Contribution to the Mission 8. MINURSO and the Sahrawi Archaeological Heritage Part III 9. Building Sandcastles in the Desert? MINURSO Military Component: Tasks, Duties and their Fulfilment 10. The MINURSO Police Contingent 11. Integrated Logistic Support and Financial Issues of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) 12. Military and Police Experiences from Western Sahara: The Case of Hungary Part IV 13. The United States and MINURSO: 31 Years 14. China and the MINURSO - Eyes on Peak Phosphorus? 15. Russia and MINURSO: This is Not Our Conflict 16. France and MINURSO 17. The Approach of the African States Towards MINURSO Conclusion 18. MINURSO: A Mission for Maintaining the Status Quo?