Current Colonization in Africa

Is Western Sahara Really a Colony?

Abstract

In January 2023, the African Nations Championship, commonly known as “CHAN” took place. This event is exclusively open to soccer players who play within Africa’s borders, with the main goal of spotlighting African players who may not receive much global recognition (McAllister). That year, the championship was held in Algeria at the newly built Mandela Stadium. For the occasion, Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile Mandela, was invited to open the championship with a speech (CAF). He spoke of the importance of freedom in Africa’s history and highlighted the continent’s common fight against foreign dominance, which he marks as a value that African nations should aim to protect at home and overseas. He continued by stating that the struggle was not over and pointed to Western Sahara as “the last colony of Africa” (Berban Sport). This sparked controversy, as Morocco, the accused colonizer, took offense. The Moroccan Football Federation lodged a complaint against the speaker for “political speech” (McDonald). This interaction begged the question: Is Western Sahara truly a Moroccan colonial project? This text will address this interrogation, arguing that Morocco engages in colonialism in Western Sahara through control of the political system by using settlers, the economy by exploiting Sahrawi natural resources, and social control through oppression. First, this article will discuss the aggregation of historical events that culminated in the current situation in Western Sahara by providing each party’s perspective on the matter. The second part will analyze how the actions taken in Western Sahara can indeed be defined as colonization. [...]