Morocco promotes the classification of the Polisario Front as a terrorist group

Morocco enjoys broad international support for its Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara and is now moving forward with a new initiative related to this issue, which is to label its rival, the pro-independence Polisario Front, as a terrorist organisation. 

The measure has legal, security and strategic policy dimensions, reflecting a renewed Moroccan diplomatic approach to managing the conflict. 

The initiative seeks to frame the regional dispute over Western Sahara within a broader security context focused on the fight against terrorism. The concept has previously been proposed in the US Congress, where Republican Congressman Joe Wilson introduced a bill calling for the Polisario Front to be designated as a terrorist organisation and subject to sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans on its members. The bill cited allegations of support from entities that Washington considers hostile, such as Iran and Hezbollah.

The Moroccan think tank, the National Observatory for Strategic Studies, has called on Morocco's partner states and allies to launch legislative initiatives within their parliaments to classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation. 

In a statement released on Monday, the think tank urged these countries to adopt legal frameworks that criminalise the group's activities and cut off its sources of support. 

The Observatory warned of what it described as security threats posed by the Polisario, citing ‘systematic attacks on civilians, involvement in arms and drug trafficking networks, recruitment of children and coordination with terrorist groups operating in the Sahel.’ 

The statement praised a recent initiative in the US Congress to introduce a bill designating the Polisario as a terrorist entity, calling it a constructive step in line with international efforts to combat terrorism and counter foreign-backed separatist movements.

Mohammed Tayyar, security expert and president of the Observatory, emphasised that the designation is strategic and highly significant, with direct implications for legal, security, political, diplomatic and media dimensions. He said it elevates the conflict from a limited political or regional dispute, historically backed by Algeria, to the broader international framework of the global war on terrorism, bringing international mechanisms, pressures and alliances into play. This approach, he noted, would broaden Morocco's legal position on the international stage beyond its national borders. 

Tayyar told The Arab Weekly that the aim of classifying the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation is to restrict its movements abroad by freezing the leadership's funds in international banks, confiscating the group's assets, banning any activity or meeting related to it, both within conflict zones and across borders, and prohibiting travel by its leaders and members. Any entity associated with financing, supporting or cooperating with the front would face criminal charges.

He added that integrating the Polisario issue into the global war on terrorism would place it alongside transnational terrorist organisations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda, limiting its ability to operate politically and militarily at the same time. 

‘The measure would also deprive the group of public support from traditional allies, particularly the Algerian military regime, which would avoid association with a formally designated terrorist organisation. It would also facilitate the monitoring of the activities of international intelligence agencies,’ he said. 

According to Tayyar, this approach would reduce the capabilities of those who oppose Morocco's territorial integrity and reshape the international narrative surrounding the conflict. It would change the global media and public perception of Polisario as a ‘political movement,’ promoted for decades by Algeria's media apparatus and affiliated pressure groups, to recognise it as a ‘violent organisation.’ Simultaneously, it would strengthen Morocco's position as a reliable partner in international counter-terrorism efforts. 

If implemented, the designation would provide Morocco with greater legal authority to enforce anti-terrorism laws against Polisario activities, including asset seizures and a ban on international support. It would also provide Rabat with new diplomatic and security tools to strengthen its position in the conflict and limit the group's ability to operate freely abroad. 

Morocco has already achieved significant diplomatic successes in promoting its autonomy proposal as a political, peaceful, and realistic solution to the Western Sahara dispute. Since its presentation in 2007, the proposal has garnered broad support from major countries, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, and is widely considered the most credible framework for resolving the dispute under Moroccan sovereignty. 

Morocco's ongoing diplomatic efforts across Europe, Africa and Latin America have further strengthened recognition of the initiative, broadening its support base to include countries that previously leaned towards supporting the Polisario Front, such as Ghana. 

Morocco's move to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation complements these achievements, strengthening the legal and security dimensions of the dispute and providing more robust international backing for Morocco's position.