Deadlock On Sahrawi Independence | Think Africa Press

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Deadlock On Sahrawi Independence

Western Sahara's struggle for self-determination has stagnated, but progress must be made if violence is to be avoided.

ARTICLE | 6 FEBRUARY 2012 - 10:42AM | BY IMAD MESDOUA

Sahrawis march against the wall separating Morocco and Western Sahara.

December 2011 saw the re-election of Polisario Front chairman Mohamed Abdelaziz by a whopping 96% of the front’s 1622-seat congress. The re-election comes at a difficult time for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, ‘Africa’s last colony’, as negotiations with Morocco remain at a standstill. More importantly, the Polisario has recently struggled to dissociate itself from media campaigns emanating from neighbouring Mali and Morocco that allege ties between its organisation’s members and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The supposed involvement of members of the Sahrawi camps from Tindouf in the kidnapping of two French citizens and three other European aid workers were presented by the media and officials in Mali as proof of Polisario’s ties to regional terrorist organisations and drug networks, but material evidence for this theory has yet to be presented by any of the accusing parties. These claims remain, for now, little more than a talking point for Moroccan officials aiming to downplay Polisario as a legitimate political actor.

Criticism of Polisario

The general criticism behind these elections turns on Abdelaziz’s longevity at the helm of the Sahrawi independence movement. Abdelaziz has headed the Sahrawi movement since the death of el Ouali Mustapha Sayed’s death in 1976 virtually unopposed.

Mahjoub Ould Saleck, the founder of a movement known as Khatt Echahid (translation: ‘The Martyr’s Route‘), recently described the Polisario as is 'a mafia-minded dictatorship’. However, his criticism has yet to gain any significant traction.

Opponents of the ‘revolutionary establishment’ such as Saleck face a major obstacle: Polisario is recognised by the United Nations and a host of other nations as the sole and legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people and their aspirations. The likelihood of Ould Saleck’s criticism ever becoming mainstream, both domestically and abroad, is highly improbable. What is more, Saleck is perceived by many Sahrawis as a threat to the cause of independence for his outspoken support of the Moroccan autonomy plan.

A surprise victory

Mohamed Abdelaziz has used an unexpected diplomatic victory in recent months to reaffirm his popularity. Last month, the European Parliament voted to reject a controversial fisheries agreement with Morocco, citing the inability of the Moroccan Kingdom to demonstrate how this agreement would benefit the local Sahrawi population.

Home to substantial primary resources such as phosphate mines and fish, Western Sahara has long been exploited by European companies, which turned a blind eye to the kingdom’s expansionist and repressive agenda towards local populations. The parliament voted to discontinue the agreement under pressure from global human rights NGOs (although it is debatable as to whether this pressure was in fact a deciding factor in the vote), giving a boost to the Sahrawi independence movement.

Desperate youth

Despite these minor diplomatic victories, many younger Sahrawis living abroad in countries such as Spain, Cuba and Mauritania (popular destinations for the diaspora seeking education or a better life) have become frustrated with the Polisario’s negotiated solutions, and now advocate a return to guerrilla tactics. In a Guardian opinion piece on October 7 2010, Polisario chairman Abdelaziz, along with Jens Orlack, acknowledged the challenge presented by this impatience:

“It is with great sadness that we see that the Sahrawis no longer believe in the possibility of restoring their country through peaceful means. At the same time, we understand the dejection that the Sahrawis feel.”

Beyond Abdelaziz’s re-election, developments in the Western Sahara highlight the need for progress on the question of self-determination. The present stalemate is no longer an option: desperation, if left to fester amongst the Sahrawi youth, may well result in another avoidable upsurge in violence throughout the sub-region.

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