Hope for Western Sahara?

With conflicts raging in Iraq, Gaza and Tripoli, we have to feel heartened that somebody in the Arab world is sitting down to resolve a dispute peacefully. The Greentree Estate in Manhasset, Long Island, is a good distance from Morocco and a bit farther still from the Western Sahara. But representatives of the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front started U.N.-sponsored talks there today aimed at resolving the dispute over "Africa's last colony." Nigeria and Cameroon signed a peace deal at Greentree a year ago, so perhaps Western Sahara will get lucky, too.

Both sides deserve some credit for heeding the U.N. call to resume negotiations on the issue after a seven-year lapse. On April 11, King Mohammed VI's government had unveiled what it termed a "historic initiative" aimed at giving the Western Sahara a measure of autonomy. It appeared to rule out full independence as demanded by the Polisario, however. We may discover soon whether the negotiations are serious or merely a tactical ploy to show good faith to the international community, which is becoming fed up with the stalemate.

To see why, check out two new reports issued last week by the International Crisis Group, Western Sahara: The Cost of the Conflict, and Western Sahara: Out of the Impasse.

--By Scott MacLeod