The Polisario launches a severe warning to Spain

The movement’s representative in Spain, Abdulah Arabi, took advantage of the High-Level Meeting to express his concerns. According to him, the experience accumulated over half a century allows the Sahrawis to alert Madrid in a well-founded manner. He believes that if Spain does not curb what he describes as "expansionist pretensions", the consolidation of the occupation of Western Sahara will mechanically pave the way for claims on the neighboring Spanish islands.

This media outburst also targets the current diplomatic dynamics. Abdulah Arabi says he is convinced that Morocco dictates the law during these meetings, imposing an agenda based solely on its own interests. He criticizes the turnaround made by Pedro Sánchez in March 2022, arguing that since this rupture of the Spanish political consensus, Rabat has set the pace and direction of a bilateral relationship whose strategic character for Spain remains, in his eyes, to be demonstrated.

The official also recalls Madrid’s legal obligations. He claims that Spain remains the administering power of the territory, citing as evidence the continuous management of the Saharan airspace by Spanish controllers, despite the 1975 Madrid Agreements.

The legal context has also evolved with the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union in October 2024. Relying on this case law, which differentiates the status of the territory from that of Morocco, the Polisario promises absolute vigilance. Abdulah Arabi has warned that any agreement resulting from this Thursday’s summit that would impact the former colony would be subject to appeals through all available channels to defend Sahrawi interests.