Long Reads: Western Sahara’s Struggle for Freedom w/ Jacob Mundy (Part 1)
Jacobin Radio
Jacobin
4.7 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 18 December 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
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Summary
The occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco has now lasted for half a century. The anniversary of the invasion passed at the beginning of November. It came just as the Trump administration was working at the United Nations to legitimize permanent Moroccan rule over the land and its people, including the indigenous Sahrawis.
Today’s episode is the first part of a two-part interview on the history of Western Sahara. Part one is going to cover the experience of Spanish colonial rule and the emergence of a movement for independence before the invasion by Morocco in 1975. Part two will carry the story up to the present day.
Our guest Jacob Mundy is a professor of peace and conflict studies at Colgate University. He’s the co-author of Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution.
Read his piece for Jacobin, “For 50 Years, Morocco Has Denied Western Sahara Freedom”: https://jacobin.com/2025/11/morocco-western-sahara-freedom-colonialism
Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This week's episode is supported by Rutgers University Press. They've just released a new book, |
| 0:06.8 | Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, The Rebel Girl, Democracy and Revolution. The author of this biography is |
| 0:14.0 | Marianne Traskyati, Director of Labor Studies at Hofstra University. It tells the story of her life at the heart of the |
| 0:22.5 | American Labour movement, from the wobblies in the early 20th century to the struggle against |
| 0:27.6 | McCarthyism in the 1950s. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn is available wherever you get your books. |
| 0:36.5 | Hello, you're very welcome to Long Reeds, |
| 0:39.1 | a Jacobin podcast where we look in depth |
| 0:41.2 | of political topics and thinkers. |
| 0:43.5 | My name's Daniel Finn |
| 0:44.7 | and the Features Editor here at Jacobin |
| 0:47.2 | and I'll be presenting the show. |
| 0:49.9 | The occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco |
| 0:52.9 | has now lasted for half a century. |
| 0:56.0 | The anniversary of the invasion passed at the beginning of November. |
| 1:00.0 | It came just as the Trump administration was working at the United Nations to legitimize permanent Moroccan rule over the land and its people. |
| 1:10.0 | Trump and his diplomats wanted to reward the King of Morocco for signing up to the Abraham Accords with Israel. |
| 1:16.6 | The first agreement between Israel and an Arab state ever. |
| 1:20.6 | The Trump supporting news channel Newsmax celebrated the alliance between Israel and Morocco back in 2021. |
| 1:28.3 | With the signing, the two countries, defense ministries and militaries can more easily speak with one another and share intelligence. |
| 1:33.3 | In the past, such communication was only possible through their respective intelligence services. |
| 1:38.3 | Israeli Defense Minister Benigand saying we have just signed a defense cooperation agreement |
| 1:46.6 | with Morocco. It is a very, very significant development. It will enable us to exchange ideas |
... |
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