In the famous songs that we've come to know, Vienna is nothing but a city of pleasure and fun, although its name has been linked in a certain period of time to a dark phase of the Great War. In any case, it seems that the American diplomat Christopher Ross has chosen this city to host the limited and unofficial negotiations over the Western Sahara conflict, perhaps to suggest that if nothing was achieved therein, the parties to the conflict would at least have traveled far and wide in the realm of imagination. In his Sahara journey, which he practically started in Vienna, Ross might have been inspired by the previous work of James Baker, the mediator who labored along with the negotiation delegations across London, Berlin, Lisbon - and Houston before- , all in search of the magic formula that would end the Sahara conflict. In this vein, the significance brought about by the choice of the meeting place has always remained on par with the evolution of this issue. For instance, the first negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario took place in Bamako, the capital of Mali, at a time when the issue was already poised for discussion before the Organization of African Unity. At the time, the negotiation round was kept a secret, as a public and declared dialogue between the two sides was a red line. Nevertheless, the meeting took place, assisted by the fact that vital efforts were taking place to convene a summit between the late King Hassan II and the Algerian President Houari Boumédiène. Moreover, one of the meaningful coincidences was the choice of the Belgian capital Brussels as the summit's venue, but which in any case did not convene due to the sudden death of the Algerian president. Meanwhile, the preparations for the Moroccan-Algerian summit that followed, practically took the same path as the ones mentioned above; they started at gradual secret meetings in Paris, Geneva and Brussels, but with no result. This is with the exception of the summit sponsored by the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and that brought together King Hassan II and Chadli Bendjedid on the border between the two countries. This exceptional meeting had positive results, which can be drawn upon today, even if conditions are now somehow different. In fact, it would correct to assume that this summit paved the way for the first official and open discussions that took place between Morocco and the Polisario in Marrakech, followed later by a summit in Tangiers. Perhaps the biggest subsequent achievement in this vein was that the talks – which were the subject of many differing analyses and interpretations – marked the birth of the Maghreb Union, as a result of the improvement in the relations between Rabat and Algiers at the time. This novel agreement, along with the border demarcation going into effect and the good neighbor policies, all bolstered the overall positive orientation, but which did not last more than five years. In any case, what is in common between the Vienna negotiations and those that took place in Marrakesh is that the general framework under which these endeavors are taking place still did not advance further than including a wider participation in the agreement on the broad outlines of a solution. Moreover, ever since James Baker acknowledged that Algeria and Mauritania were indirect parties in both the problem and the solution, no comprehensive progress can be expected without a consensual agreement between all parties. However, the envoy Christopher Ross, who is well versed on the intricacies of this issue, its problems and the sensitivities involved, as well as being an expert on Maghreb affairs, seems to want the limited and unofficial negotiations to be a drill, or a warm-up, before the actual rounds of difficult negotiations begin. In this regard, Ross realizes that reducing the representation of delegations is not a major concern, as long as the actual meeting is not convened under the glare of the media. If this satisfies the pride of the parties that are avoiding offering any concessions, it does not do away with the fact that there is no alternative to negotiations. This in itself is an accomplishment that allows the region to avoid a return to tension and escalation; in fact, it also pushes in the direction of using new ways to keep disputes in line. Earlier, the Moroccan-Algerian dialogue was seen as a contributing factor in solving the problem of the Western Sahara. However, there are many hurdles in trying to find a new formula for dialogue between the two neighboring countries, based on an approach that satisfies both Algeria and Morocco, and that differentiates between bilateral issues and the Sahara issue. As such, there is a belief now that it will be the Sahara negotiations that will instead help bring Rabat and Algiers together. The negotiating delegations know that they are not going to Vienna for tourism. On the contrary, the pleasure brought by traveling to the Austrian capital may quickly vanish should it become a swim against the tide.
