Western Sahara in the framework of the new Moroccan advanced regionalization reform

Abstract

The Advanced Regionalization Reform was initiated on 3 January 2010, when King Mohammed VI announced the creation of the Consultative Committee on Regionalization. Notwithstanding the fact that it was warmly welcomed by a large number of political actors, the reform was gradually demoted in the political sphere after popular protests erupted in the country in February 2011 in the context of the Arab Spring. From that time onwards, the king became the unique driving force behind the reform of the regional administration, using it to stall further negotiations on Western Sahara and to strengthen and normalize Morocco’s control over the territory. This chapter explores the impact that advanced regionalization could have on the resolution of the Western Sahara conflict and the way in which it has been a political instrument for the Moroccan state to reinforce its position in the dispute.