Sahara: The Polisario affirms that Morocco has not won

Sources close to the Sahrawi independence movement have told El Independiente that, contrary to rumors, the Polisario has not engaged in any negotiations with Morocco after the UN resolution on the Sahara. "There are still no dates for negotiations or for a ceasefire, as the details of the Moroccan proposal have never been specified; it is only now that they are trying to elaborate them," these sources say, noting that in addition to the Sahrawis’ refusal to accept autonomy, the current regime of the kingdom poses a problem. "Morocco is an autocratic state in which the figure of the king is above the Constitution. There is no consensus among the political forces on the content of the plan, but the most serious thing is to know what to do with other regions like the Rif, the Souss, the center and the east of the country. This could lead to the Balkanization of Morocco," they warn.

The same sources insist: "The central power is greatly weakened by foreign debt, ineffectiveness in the face of corruption, the social crisis, the disillusionment of Generation Z and the resistance of young people to engage in the army. On the other hand, and in contradiction with the idea of decentralization, the role of the Ministry of the Interior has been strengthened this week." In the same vein, the Polisario maintains that Morocco "has never had a real autonomy project" for the Sahara, believing that this idea has been raised to avoid a self-determination referendum and "gain time," with the support of the United States, which has recognized the Moroccanness of the Sahara. The Sahrawis denounce Morocco’s triumphalist discourse after the UN resolution vote, stressing that these maneuvers aim to slow down the process. "They use all kinds of quibbles to delay everything and continue to maneuver."

For the organization, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and even Spain would have finally understood that Rabat "lied to them both about its project and about Algeria’s disposition or the Polisario’s willingness to continue to resist." Resolution 2797, drafted by the United States, aims to relaunch the negotiations on the basis of the Moroccan autonomy plan presented in 2007. "It is important to emphasize that Morocco, with the firm support of certain powers, has sought to achieve three main objectives through the initial US project: to obtain the Security Council’s recognition of its claims of ’sovereignty’ over Western Sahara; to establish its ’proposal’ as the sole basis for negotiation; and to transform the MINURSO mandate into an instrument to ensure a solution in line with its expansionist position, based on the first two objectives, within a maximum of three months," indicates a memorandum from the Polisario transmitted this week to the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly.

"A careful reading of the final text of the resolution clearly shows that Morocco has not achieved any of these three objectives. This result is due to the firmness of the Sahrawi people and their sole and legitimate representative, the Polisario Front, as well as the firm positions of the member states truly committed to the letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter," the Polisario stresses in the document. The independence movement reaffirms its willingness to participate in the UN-led peace process and to enter into direct negotiations with Morocco without preconditions, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 1514, noting that Resolution 2797 does not recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and does not present the Moroccan autonomy plan as the only negotiation framework, but as a basis among other possible ones.

"In accordance with General Assembly Resolution 2625 (XXV), among others, every State has the duty to promote the application of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to refrain from resorting to any measure of force that deprives peoples of their right to self-determination, freedom and independence. Therefore, States must firmly condemn the Moroccan ’proposal,’ as it aims to deprive the Sahrawi people of their inalienable right to self-determination and to ’legitimize’ Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara, a territory that is still in the process of decolonization," the Polisario insists in its memorandum, adding that "the Security Council has clearly indicated that any just, legal and realistic political solution must guarantee the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara."

"Member States are strongly urged to redouble their efforts and use their influence in a constructive manner to help the United Nations create the necessary conditions for the Sahrawi people to freely and democratically exercise their inalienable right to self-determination. This is the only viable path to achieving a just and lasting peace in our region," the Sahrawi independence movement affirms, arguing that applying the Moroccan autonomy plan would amount to excluding independence, one of the options envisaged in the UN resolutions, and to legitimizing the occupation of the territory, which would create a dangerous precedent in Africa. Washington and Paris will try to put pressure on the Polisario and Algeria to join the process that should start in early 2026. For his part, Staffan de Mistura hopes that the Polisario will return in better spirits and end the low-intensity war opened after the ceasefire was broken in November 2022.