A Puzzle Too Complex? James Baker's Mediation Mission in Western Sahara Case Study Analysis
When you are doing a Case Study you need to get to the heart of the matter. This means understanding the Problem Statement, Porters Five Forces, PESTLE Analysis and Recommendations. By getting the right information you will have a clearer picture of the puzzle that you are facing. Then you can come up with a viable solution.
Problem Statement
The United Nations efforts to resolve the Western Sahara dispute are a fascinating case study in international conflict mediation. We examine the process from the moment James A. Baker III was appointed as personal envoy for Western Sahara until June 2004, when he resigned. During that time, he proposed a plan that would end the Western Sahara conflict while promoting stability in the region.
Initially, the Security Council showed support for the Baker Plan, expressing confidence in its ability to resolve the conflict. However, when Morocco rejected the plan, the Security Council failed to act in a unified way. It then began to show its partisanship, refusing to consider any options other than the Baker Plan.
In the interim, Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar presented his settlement proposals to Morocco. These proposals included autonomy within the Moroccan state, an autonomous region, and a referendum. Despite the Moroccan government's opposition to these proposals, it offered a political solution, which would allow the Western Sahara to vote on the independence of the territory.
Although Morocco's offer was a good start, it wasn't enough. The Moroccans still don't have the will to compromise on anything. This leads to a deadlock in the Western Sahara conflict.
A key lesson is that only a solution that abides by international law can break the stalemate. This means that a political solution will require compromises on the part of both sides. Moreover, UN military observers should be included in any long overdue self-determination referendum to protect the rights of the citizens.
Case Study Solution
One of the most intriguing case study solutions to the Western Sahara dispute involves the mediation efforts of the United Nations. The UN Security Council, however, has failed to resolve the decades-old conflict. Despite the presence of influential US policy makers, Morocco has remained resolutely opposed to holding a referendum on its territory.
During the conflict, Morocco's regime has been an important geo-strategic ally of the West. It is a main donor of humanitarian aid to Saharawi refugees. As a result, the US security agencies have supported Morocco's policies against radical salafism.
While the US is not directly involved in the ongoing conflict, its policies have contributed to the protracted nature of the situation. As the Obama administration strengthens its military and economic partnerships with Maghreb states, such as Algeria, Spain, and Morocco, the Western Sahara problem will remain a hurdle in promoting political cooperation in the region.
In an attempt to resolve the conflict, the UN Security Council floated several options to both sides. These included a referendum to determine the final status of the disputed territories, and a political solution. However, neither option was sufficiently viable to break the deadlock.
When the Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, James Baker, submitted a proposed peace plan to the Security Council, the council expressed its support. But when the proposal was not approved, Baker resigned.
Nevertheless, the UN has continued to attempt to settle the Western Sahara issue. The Secretary-General's new personal envoy, Horst Kohler, is taking a different approach. He is focusing on developing lessons from international conflicts.
Porters Five Forces
When it comes to conflict resolution in the Maghreb, there is no denying that the Western Sahara issue is one of the most complex and important. It's a complex matter that involves Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the United States. The US is a strong ally of these countries, and the Western Sahara region is a geo-strategic priority for the US.
For years, the United Nations has attempted to broker an end to the Western Sahara conflict. In 2003, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, James A. Baker, presented a plan for resolving the issue. This plan outlined a solution to the Western Sahara conflict that would include a referendum for self-determination. However, the proposal failed to win Security Council approval.
While the Baker Plan provided some clarity, the settlement proposal was a far cry from an actual solution. Negotiations between the parties stalled for years. One of the main reasons was that the negotiations did not address the fundamental legal issues surrounding the Western Sahara territory.
Moreover, the proposed solutions offered two options: autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty or independence for the territory. The first of these, the Peace Plan for Self-Determination of the People of Western Sahara, was rejected by Morocco.
Nevertheless, the second proposal, the Baker Plan II, was reformulated. It included a referendum for self-determination as well as an option to integrate with Morocco. These were also outlined in the Baker Plan, but were not approved by the UN Security Council.
PESTLE Analysis
James Baker's mediation mission in Western Sahara was not a simple one. This was a complex territorial dispute that involved Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania. It was an interesting case study of how the United Nations can fail to achieve a resolution.
Baker was appointed as a personal envoy of the UN's Secretary General Kofi Annan in March 1997. He served in that role for five years. However, he left in 2004 after a disagreement over a settlement proposal with the Moroccan government.
At the time, the Organization of African Unity was working to find a settlement to the Western Sahara dispute. Baker's peace plan called for a referendum on self-determination for the people of the Western Sahara.
The Security Council initially endorsed Baker's efforts to find a solution. But the plan failed to deliver. Eventually, the personal envoy resigned.
A few months later, the Security Council expressed its confidence in Baker's new plan. Baker's new plan called for self-rule for the Western Sahara for four to five years. His proposal was the optimum political solution.
The plan also included a transition period. The transition period would include a division of responsibilities between the parties. In December 1999, the UN proposed a settlement plan to the Polisario movement and Morocco.
Despite the Security Council's support for Baker's plans, negotiations in the Western Sahara were not going well. Some of the parties had disagreements on repatriation of refugees and appeals.
Financial Analysis
From 1997 to 2004, former US secretary of state James Baker served as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal envoy for Western Sahara. He attempted to resolve the Western Sahara territorial dispute. However, despite his impressive accomplishments, the final status of the territory has proven unresolvable. Hence, this case study discusses three distinct challenges facing the UN's efforts to mediate the conflict.
The first challenge involves internal fragmentation amongst the parties. This was especially the case with Morocco and the Polisario. While both parties agreed to a settlement plan, there was an inability to agree on how to implement it.
Another challenge was the lack of an effective mechanism to monitor human rights in Western Sahara. In addition, the region had no UN-recognised administering power. Thus, the Security Council had to act as a mediator. As a result, the dynamics of the conflict changed.
Finally, there were external shocks. One of these was the fallout from the UN-organised referendum in East Timor, which Indonesia occupied in 1975-76. It influenced the Security Council to take action.
The UN Security Council supported Baker's efforts to resolve the Western Sahara territorial dispute. After the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1429, the Peace Plan for Self-Determination of the People of Western Sahara was submitted. The document provided for a referendum on self-determination within two years. A transition period and a UN-monitored ceasefire were also included.
Recommendations
A group of experts will be discussing possible solutions for the Western Sahara conflict. They will discuss legal and political constraints. They will also analyze the autonomy plan introduced by Morocco. The panel will include Professor Bernabe Lopez Garcia, a historian of Islam and contemporary history; and Marina Ottaway, senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
In the past few years, the United Nations has been working to resolve the Western Sahara conflict. However, the struggle for power has remained intractable. It is a challenge that is going to take courageous diplomatic initiatives to break the stalemate.
During the Cold War, the US and Morocco formed a military alliance. During the period, the two countries cooperated on anti-Communism operations. But Western policies have not promoted democratization in the Maghreb region.
As part of the War on Terror, the United States has supported regimes in the region that are reliant on coercion. But the current US administration has endorsed principles of transparency and accountability.
In an effort to end the Western Sahara conflict, the Security Council has backed the Baker peace plan. It would allow the bona fide residents of Western Sahara to decide their own future.
The UN Secretary-General has been preparing a new political proposal to try to break the deadlock. He believes that the political solution must be consistent with international law.
However, the Security Council was unwilling to choose from the four options that the parties presented. It began to show partisanship when it seemed that the settlement plan was no longer a likely solution.
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