Legitimacy Without Recognition: How States Construct Sovereignty Narratives in Contested Spaces

Abstract

In an era of intensifying geopolitical crises, the question of how states assert sovereignty over territories lacking international recognition has become increasingly central to the global political order. This paper examines the diplomatic strategies and legitimacy narratives deployed by governing authorities in two paradigmatic cases of contested territorial control: the Moroccan Sahara and Abkhazia. Despite their distinct geopolitical contexts, both cases reveal a shared logic: legitimacy can be actively constructed and sustained through strategic narrative-building, even in the absence of formal recognition. Drawing on comparative foreign policy analysis and critical discourse analysis, this paper identifies the core rhetorical and diplomatic frameworks through which Morocco and the de facto authorities of Abkhazia, backed by their respective patrons, seek to consolidate perceived sovereignty. These include appeals to historical belonging, narratives of security and stability, autonomy and self-governance frameworks, and the selective instrumentalisation of international legal norms. The paper argues that in the current era of crisis and global order reorganisation, the traditional binary between recognised and unrecognised statehood is increasingly inadequate. Instead, legitimacy operates as a spectrum, shaped by diplomatic investment, narrative consistency, and great power alignment. By comparing two cases from different regional and geopolitical environments, this study contributes to broader theoretical debates on sovereignty, spatial governance, and the transformation of international order under conditions of systemic crisis.