“War” in the desert

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33857, 31 May 1975, Page 14

“War” in the desert

The. war of words over the ownership and control of the West African territory known as the Spanish Sahara continues unabated. phosphate-rich region, over which Spain asserts ownership through occupation, is being claimed vociferously by Morocco and. in a lower key, by Mauretania. At the request of the two African States the World Court is now considering the question of ownership. The Spanish Government’s offer of a referendum still stands, although the voting has been postponed at the request of the United to give opportunity for a fact-finding mission to report to the General Assembly in September. How the mission is to determine the question of ownership is not apparent. When it arrived at El Aaiun a few weeks ago it was met by an independence group w’hich rejected all outside claims to ownership, whether by Spain, Morocco or Mauretania. Algeria has joined the debate, first by appearing to support the request for a World Court decision, and then by asserting that the Saharan territory did not belong to either of the claimants. Its people, says Algeria, should decide their own future. The question must then arise about the degree of independence that could exist in a territory holding no more than 70.000 people, most of them nomads. They would obviously need help in any ta<k of development that might be envisaged. Behind the Moroccan claim, needless to say. lies the 1959 discovery of rich and easily recoverable phosphate deposits in the Sahara. The Moroccan Government has sought to control the world phosphate market in much the same way as the oil-producing countries have controlled the market for oil. Although Morocco is only the third-largest producer of phosnhate. it is the largest world supplier. Morocco Is aware of Arab plans to expand production from Guinea’s rich phosphate mines, and of Jordan's hopes to triple its own phosphate output by 1976. with an extension of sales — after the reopening of the Suez C >nal — to the countries of the East European bloc. Morocco views with alarm the prospect of losing its crin on the world market for phosphate, when prices might be brought back to a level nearer production This is what the argument over ownership of the Sahara is really about. Spain and some other sources want to safeguard an investment there of about £lOO million. Morocco sees the steadily-rising output of phosphate, under Spanish direction, as threatening to “ flood " the world market and sharply force down the price its own exports currently command. Less than two years ago phosphate was selling at Sl5 a ton. By July of last year. Moroccan pressures had forced the price up to §63 a ton. Whatever finding the World Court may bring down on the ownership issue, it seems certain that Spain will not yield to any pressures: and King Hassan is not likely to include military force among them. Morocco is in fact anxious to attract foreign Investment, nrobably realising that the bonanza years of phosphate income mav be ending. A pointer to that is the recent huge barter deal with Russia, in terms o, which the Russians will build Morocco’s fourth phosphate mine and Morocco will supply something like 10 million tons a year to Russia, for use in areas far distant from the Siberian producing region From any viewpoint it appears that some rationalisation of nhosphate marketing is under way, whether or not Morocco is successful in its bid for a Saharan take-over.