Morocco urges US to recognise Polisario as terrorist group
Morocco is reportedly pressing the United States to designate the Polisario Front, the Western Sahara independence movement, as a terrorist organisation.
According to an article published on 25th August by the pro-Morocco North Africa Post, an expired US deadline related to the “Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act” could pave the way for the group to be added to Washington’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO).
The legislation, which lapsed on August 24th, required the US Secretaries of State and Treasury to assess whether the Polisario Front meets the criteria for designation. The act contained details of the group’s leadership, activities and alleged foreign links, and was described by the outlet as presenting “compelling evidence” of ties to extremist organisations.
The bill also included a provision allowing the US President to waive the designation and sanctions if the Polisario Front accepts Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. The plan would grant Morocco administrative control over the disputed territory. Morocco and the US support this proposal, while the Polisario Front rejects it and calls instead for a referendum on independence, a position backed by Algeria.
Designation as an FTO would trigger restrictions on travel, the freezing of assets held in international banks and a ban on associated activities. It could also expose states or organisations seen to cooperate with Polisario to economic sanctions or criminal liability.
The outlet reported that the US is increasing pressure on Algeria to support Morocco’s autonomy proposal, allegedly the “only realistic solution” to the decades-long conflict. The outlet also argued that the prospect of a referendum on self-determination, which remains the official position of the United Nations, has effectively been sidelined.
The Polisario Front, formed in 1973, has long sought independence for Western Sahara and continues to call for a UN-supervised referendum. Algeria has consistently supported the group, whilst Morocco maintains sovereignty over most of the territory.
The North Africa Post, Maghrebi
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