New Book on Western Sahara Explores Legal Foundations of Statehood and Colonial Legacy

The book is authored by Manfred Hinz, professor of public law at University of Bremen; Ahmed Mohamed Sid Ali, legal adviser to the presidency of the Sahrawi Republic; and Amma Lahbib, a Sahrawi activist based in Germany. Together, the authors present a rigorous academic inquiry into the institutional architecture of the Sahrawi state project, framing it within the broader historical and legal context of colonialism and international law.

The ceremony was attended by senior Sahrawi officials, including Hamma Salama, president of the Sahrawi National Council, and Mohamed Bouzid, head of the Constitutional Council, alongside members of government, parliamentarians, and representatives of national institutions. Their presence underscored the political and intellectual significance attributed to the publication, which organisers described as a landmark contribution to the legal scholarship surrounding the Sahrawi cause.

Beyond its academic scope, the book offers detailed analyses of the development of Sahrawi legal institutions, examining constitutional frameworks, administrative evolution, and the challenges of state-building under conditions of displacement and contested sovereignty. By weaving legal doctrine with historical narrative, the authors seek to illuminate the institutional resilience of Sahrawi governance structures while situating their trajectory within international legal debates.

For legal scholars, policymakers, and observers of the Western Sahara issue, the book represents a substantial addition to the field of institutional and constitutional studies, offering a meticulously documented account of the Sahrawi legal experience and its implications for international law.