In 1975, Morocco invaded Western Sahara, setting off a 16-year war with the indigenous people of the territory, the Saharawis, that only ended in 1990 when the parties agreed to allow the question of sovereignty over the territory to be settled by a referendum. To date this referendum has not taken place. This book lifts the veil of secrecy and misinformation that cloaks question of why the issue of sovereignty over Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, has not been, settled, and discusses the failure of the international community to address adequately the issues of international law and policy it has raised.
