Historical Dictionary of Western Sahara Third ... - Scarecrow Press

Editor’s Foreword
While nearly all of the African colonies became independent a long
time ago, there is still one last former colony that is not yet free. Western
Sahara has been firmly lodged on an unpleasant limb for nearly
three decades, having ceased to be part of Spain’s African empire
without becoming a state of its own. During this period, it has been
bitterly fought over by Morocco, Mauritania (until it was forced to
withdraw), and the indigenous people of northwestern Africa, as represented
by the Polisario Front. The result has been an upset in the
population, periodic warfare, constant strife, and regional and continental
conflicts.
For far too long, Western Sahara was a forgotten corner of Africa
whose concerns were largely ignored. Little was known about it and
less was actually written. One of the few efforts to provide an overview
of the country was the first edition of the Historical Dictionary of Western
Sahara in 1982. This and subsequent editions have all brought together
a broad range of information on not only the regional conflict
and attempts to resolve it, but also the essential background on the history,
politics, economy, society, and culture of Western Sahara. There
are hundreds of dictionary entries on key figures, an extensive chronology,
and an in-depth introduction. The bibliography, almost negligible
in the first edition, has expanded to the point where only the most important
titles can be included—at long last, an indication that others are
following the path toward first understanding and eventually solving a
seemingly intractable situation.
The first edition of the Historical Dictionary of Western Sahara
was written by Tony Hodges, among the very first to have carefully
researched the area. The second edition was updated and expanded
by Anthony G. Pazzanita, a specialist on Western Sahara and the
Maghreb and also the author of the second edition of the Historical
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