Western Sahara and SADR: A bidding war for international recognition in a transitional world order

Since its foundation in 1973, the Polisario Front has been calling for the "liberation" of Western Sahara and the establishment of an independent Sahrawi state in the region. While this was faced with unyielding opposition from Morocco, which laid a fait-accompli claim over approximately 80% of the territory in October 1975, the Front proceeded -with the help of Algeria- to declare the establishment of a state in its controlled part of the territory. From the outset, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic successfully garnered international recognition , accumulating up to 84 states at its peak. This recognition reached a standstill with less than 40 states still firmly recognizing the SADR. International recognition of the entity started noticeably declining in the 2000s. With various countries either withdrawing or freezing their recognition, the proclaimed state only maintains a fraction of the international recognition it once enjoyed. This dissertation aims to examine the practice of Recognition in International Relations by studying the peculiar case of the SADR. Accounting for Morocco's counterclaims over the territory and its studious work towards thwarting Polisario's efforts only emphasizes the importance of uncovering the causes of the derecognition of the SADR. The success of either party to achieve their goals relies on convincing members of the international arena of their claims, which are subsequently subject to changing tides of the international system. This research aims to submit Recognition as a material unit-level factor contingent on power balances of the international system. Using a qualitative method based on literature review and content analysis, this thesis will uncover narratives and patterns that reveal how recognition is a highly politicized practice and that pure interests gain more supremacy when withdrawing, suspending, or revoking recognition. This is even more paramount in a transitional world order in which international recognition becomes a bargaining chip.