The National Secretariat of the Polisario Front has expressed deep concern over the continuing deadlock in Western Sahara, placing the blame squarely on Moroccan intransigence and what it describes as open defiance of United Nations efforts to reach a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.
The statement followed the 10th Ordinary Session of the National Secretariat, held over two days and chaired by Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Secretary General of the Polisario Front. Among the specific grievances raised was Morocco’s refusal to receive Christopher Ross, the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara — a move the Secretariat condemned as a direct obstacle to the peace process.
The statement also warned against any attempt to expel MINURSO, the UN mission monitoring the ceasefire in the territory, describing such threats as an effort to preserve Morocco’s illegal occupation and the ongoing repression and plunder of Western Sahara’s natural resources.
The Secretariat raised a further concern: the threat posed by drug trafficking from Morocco, which it identified as the world’s largest producer and exporter of cannabis. The Polisario reiterated its commitment to combating this in line with its international obligations under the African Union, and expressed support for AU efforts to address instability across the Sahel region, including the ongoing crises in Libya and Mali.
The situation in Western Sahara remains one of the world’s most protracted and least-reported conflicts. Dancing Turtle has documented the struggle for Sahrawi self-determination in our film La Badil, available to watch now via the Dancing Turtle shop.
