A right to self-determination: Algerian support for the Sahrawi cause
Algeria supports Sahrawi independence based primarily on the belief that all peoples have a right to self-determination, according to an article published in The Conversation on August 18th.
The Sahrawi people originate from Western Sahara, a disputed territory in north-west Africa that borders Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania and remained a Spanish colony until 1975. Since then, it has been claimed by Morocco and the Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by Algeria, who first recognised the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976 and has since provided ongoing military and financial aid.
Many Western powers, including French President Emmanuel Macron in 2024, have endorsed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which proposes self-governance under Moroccan rule. Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris in response amid deteriorating Paris-Algiers relations, seeing such endorsements as legitimising occupation and diminishing Sahrawi rights. Morocco regards Western Sahara as an integral part of its territory, whilst the Polisario Front seeks a referendum on self-determination, according to the outlet, which is underlined by Algiers as being a basic right.
The dispute reflects regional tensions, strategic interests from both sides and persistent Sahrawi aspirations for autonomy despite 50 years of occupation. Algeria, having fought its own war of independence, has consistently supported liberation movements such as the Polisario Front, citing the principle of a right to self-determination and independence.
Since 1975, Algeria has contested Morocco’s de facto annexation of Western Sahara, hosting approximately 165,000 of Sahrawi refugees and expressing frustration at the ongoing lack of conflict resolution. Western Sahara’s resources, including fishing grounds and valuable phosphate deposits, add to the geopolitical complexity and tension. A lucrative coastline offers an array of potential, and Morocco harbours plans to develop the port of Dakhla to enhance regional trade links.
The normalisation of Moroccan-Israeli relations with the 2020 Abraham Accords and Morocco’s growing military capacity have significantly influenced Algeria’s security outlook. Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front reflects its wish to not only to uphold human rights but also to maintain regional influence. Without the principles of self-determination, respect for colonial-inherited borders and international law, resistance to occupation, and the right to multilateralism, the Sahrawi people will remain colonised.
The path ahead for Western Sahara remains uncertain, shaped by competing national interests, international alignments (and misalignments) and the unresolved question of the Sahrawi people’s right to decide their own future.
The Conversation, Maghrebi
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