The Moroccan-Algerian territorial disputes : origins of rivalry escalations

Dissertant

Lyamani, Adil

Thesis advisor

Maghraoui, Driss

Comitee Members

Grant, Audra
Migliorino, Nicola

University

Al Akhawayn University

Faculty

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department

International Studies and Diplomacy

University Country

Morocco

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2007

English Abstract

The Moroccan-Algerian borders conflict is a case that represents the complexity and the specificity of the issue of territorial disputes.

Both colonial legacy represented by ambiguous borders between the two states and the indifference of the Algerian government of the time to the 1961 Moroccan-Algerian treaty could be seen as the main reasons of the military clash known as the October 1963 Sand War.

Also, the ongoing crisis of the Western Sahara, claimed by the Polisario Front and supported by the Algerian government, escalated the already existing Moroccan-Algerian antagonism despite their historical, geographical, linguistic and above all religious affinities.

The existence of other intervening variables -political, ideological and economic- remains of less importance and subordinate compared to the territorial factor and its symbolic, strategic and economic importance. The objective of this research is to examine the territorial explanation of war, and discuss how borders are so important to Morocco and Algeria that they directly contributed to extreme levels of rivalry escalation between the two ‘brother enemies’.

This thesis starts from the assumption that despite the fact that Morocco and Algeria have plain political, ideological, and economic differences; the territorial factor remains the main cause behind the 1963 Sand war and the ongoing Western Sahara issue.

Main Subjects

Social Sciences (Multidisciplinary)

No. of Pages

100

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-593080