Morocco and the Sahara : Social Bonds and Geopolitical Issues

This careful and well-informed study by a leading sociologist explores key questions about Morocco and its relations with the Western Sahara. The strategies of the main actors are discussed, and the underlying game theories that explain their actions are analysed in regional and international contexts. The geopolitical dimension of the present situation is explored, in terms of the ever-present threat of a balkanization of this part of North Africa. Proposals for autonomy for the Saharan regions are examined in the light of the vast and unprecedented programme of reform undertaken by Morocco in the last decade, opening up new political solutions.