Western Sahara: Polisario seeks a seat on African Union council

The Polisario movement has applied for a seat on the Peace and Security Council at the African Union, reports Moroccan government-friendly Hespress on 15th January. The formal application was made under the name of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which the Polisario proclaimed in 1976, months after Spain left the occupied region in 1975. While the Republic has its own government and has authority over the Tindouf refugee camps in western Algeria, it has little international support and is not a recognized member of the UN.

The council reserves two seats for North Africa, and Algeria occupies the other seat; if the Sahrawi Republic was to win, it would significantly influence the position of the council of the Western Sahara issue. Morocco and Libya have also expressed in the role, which will be attributed in February after a vote. While it is acknowledged as a full member of the African Union, the Sahrawi Republic has low chances to win, particularly since many African states have expressed their support for the “Moroccan Plan”.

The Polisario and its Algerian sponsors have suffered an important blow in their quest for an independent Western Sahara, with the recent UN Security Council vote acknowledging that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty was a most feasible solution. The Polisario has officially rejected the plans, arguing for the right of Sahrawi people to self-determination, but it has so far failed to gather support for its position. Algeria, its main backer, has been increasingly isolated on the international stage, having cut relationships with its neighbors Mali and Morocco, as well as former colonial occupier France. While it has tried to build stronger ties with the US, the Trump administration has reportedly been pushing Algeria to review its stance over the longstanding Western Sahara conflict.

This new application from the Polisario reflects the need for the movement to build a more legitimate image, both regionally and internationally, and to occupy more a prominent position in African politics.

Hespress, Maghrebi.org