The Polisario Front has pledged to confront what it calls Moroccan occupation and expansionism in Western Sahara
Western Sahara’s independence movement, the Polisario Front, has declared general mobilization over an alleged Moroccan military buildup, as UN peacekeepers withdraw from the disputed territory after 35 years.
The Algeria-backed movement announced the decision following an emergency meeting chaired by its leader, Brahim Ghali, on Tuesday, according to a statement published by its official news agency, Sahara Press Service. Polisario accused Morocco of deploying troops, weapons, and equipment along the separation wall dividing the territory, and urged Sahrawis to prepare to defend their right to independence.
In a post on its official Facebook page, the movement said the mobilization is intended to “confront the expansionist Moroccan occupier.” Polisario described the deployments as a dangerous escalation and appealed to the UN and African Union to intervene.
Moroccan news outlet Maghreb Times reported on Monday that Moroccan forces have intensified movements of military convoys, equipment, and logistical supplies from the country’s northern regions toward the south.
READ MORE: Decades-long UN mission ends as Russia criticizes US stance
Morocco controls most of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony it annexed in 1975. The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) was established in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire between Morocco and Polisario and organize a referendum on the territory’s future. Disagreements over voter eligibility have prevented the vote.
MINURSO’s mandate expired on October 31 after the UN Security Council failed to agree on its renewal. Russia vetoed a US proposal tying an extension to Morocco’s plan for autonomy under its sovereignty in the sparsely populated territory. Moscow argued that the draft resolution prejudged sovereignty and undermined Sahrawi self-determination. Russia’s alternative proposal to extend the existing mandate also failed to secure the council’s support.
The North African nation reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire following a royal meeting last week, saying the pledge would remain unchanged despite the UN mission’s departure.
Read more No man’s land: Why this territory never became a countryUS President Donald Trump recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in 2020 as part of a deal involving Rabat’s normalization of relations with Israel. In July, Morocco named the 1,055 km Tiznit-Dakhla highway, which extends into Western Sahara, after Trump. The US president welcomed the gesture as a “great honor.”
At Tuesday’s UN General Assembly debate, US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended Washington’s approach, saying “a referendum that can never be held serves no one.” Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva countered that Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty “cannot be imposed on the Security Council.”
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