Western Sahara: The Polisario movement's 16th congress began its conference to renew its leadership

The Polisario Front, seeking to obtain the right to self-determination in Western Sahara, began its conference to renew its leadership, in the context of severe tensions between its ally Algeria and Morocco, which controls 80% of this region.

The conference will be held in the presence of more than 2,200 members of the Front and 370 foreign guests over a period of five days, 175 kilometers south of the Algerian city of Tindouf, in the Dakhla refugee camp, which bears the name of a coastal town in Western Sahara, an area rich in phosphates and fisheries at the heart of an ongoing conflict. half a century ago.

Polisario leader Brahim Ghali, 73, who enjoys indispensable support from Algeria, appears confident of his re-election at the conference, which kicks off at noon on Friday.

"This is the first conference since the resumption of the armed struggle" at the end of 2020, Mohamed Yeslam Bessat, the representative of the Sahrawis in South Africa, told AFP.

A decades-old dispute has been taking place over Western Sahara, which Morocco controls most of its territory, and considers it an integral part of its territory, proposing to grant it autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, is calling for its independence.

It is a major cause of tension in relations between the two Maghreb countries, as Algeria cut off diplomatic relations with Rabat since the summer of 2021.

A ceasefire resolution in force since 1991 was violated, in mid-November 2020, after the deployment of Moroccan forces in the far south of the region to expel the Polisario fighters who were blocking the only road leading to Mauritania and considered it illegal because it did not exist when the agreement was reached with Rabat.

Since then, the Polisario Front says it is "in a state of war in self-defense" and has declared "a war zone for all the territory of the Sahrawi Republic, including land, sea and air."

The conference takes place at a time when Western Sahara is at the center of escalating tensions between the two powerful states of the Maghreb.

Algeria effectively cut off its diplomatic relations with Morocco in August 2021 due to deep differences over this file and the security rapprochement between Rabat and Israel.

And after the recognition of former US President Donald Trump's administration at the end of 2020 encouraged Morocco's sovereignty over this region in exchange for rapprochement with Israel, Rabat has since increasingly used its diplomatic activity to mobilize the support of other countries for its positions.

The 16th conference is being organized under the slogan "Escalating Fighting to Expel the Occupation and Complete Sovereignty."

And ending with the convening of the conference, the governorship of Ghali, who succeeded in July 2016 the historical leader Muhammad Abdel Aziz, who died a few weeks ago. In addition, Ghali is the president of the “Sahrawi Arab Republic,” declared unilaterally in 1976.

The representative of the Polisario Front in Geneva, Omaima Abdel Salam, confirms that “the last word will be for the Sahrawi people during this conference. The position of Secretary-General is not exclusive to anyone,” refuting press reports about a struggle to succeed Ghali.

She explained, “So far, there is no list of candidates for the position of Secretary-General. These are just rumours.”