The non-representativeness of the Polisario Front

Rafael Esparza Machín, university professor, expert on Maghreb issues and president of the Association of Canary-Saharawi Friendship (ACAMA), intervened in the Fourth United Nations Commission on Western Sahara entitled: "The non-representativeness of the 'Polisario'". 

Rafael Esparza Machín alluded to the absence of representativeness with regard to the Saharawi people on the part of the Polisario Front in relation to the question of Western Sahara.  

The expert stressed at the UN headquarters in New York that the "Polisario" was not created until 1973, responding to Moroccan circumstances, changing its objectives under the protection of Gaddafi's interests and moving them under the patronage of Algeria, which is at odds with the Moroccan kingdom on several important issues, including the Saharawi dispute. 

Morocco has received strong international support at the UN for its proposal to resolve the Western Sahara issue. The North African country proposes a formula of broad autonomy for the Sahrawi territory under Moroccan sovereignty, respecting UN resolutions, and many important countries such as the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Germany and Spain consider it to be the most serious, credible and realistic option for resolving the problem. 

In view of this, the Polisario Front, with the backing of Algeria, proposes holding a referendum on independence for the Sahrawi people, which has less support on the international stage. 

The content of Rafael Esparza Machín's speech is reproduced below: 

Madam President, 

The claim that the "Polisario" is the legitimate representative of the people of the Sahara is a farce, designed to hide the numerous crimes committed against the captive population of the Tindouf camps over the last fifty years. 

The "Polisario" was not created until 1973, responding to Moroccan circumstances, changing its objectives under Gaddafi's interests and moving them under Algerian patronage. 

The "Polisario" was unknown at the time of the struggles for the liberation of the Sahara, where all of them were led by genuine Moroccan patriots, many of them persecuted and killed by the Franco-Spanish authorities since the time of Maalainin, the 1957-58 war or the assassination of Basiri. 

The "Polisario" is an armed militia structured according to the Soviet model of a single party, with no room for dissenting voices, as a consequence, the people living in the camps are deprived of their most basic human rights and freedoms. 

The "Polisario" is not the representative of the Saharawis. It represents the interests and agenda of its host country, which appoints its leaders at each congress and represses any independent organisation in the camps. 

In defiance of constant appeals by the Security Council since 2011, the host state refuses to authorise the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees to register and count the population of the Tindouf camps. This refusal has no other aim than to allow the "Polisario" to plunder humanitarian aid, keeping the inhabitants in a situation of chronic malnutrition, as shown by the OLAF reports of the European Commission and the denunciations of numerous NGOs. 

Despite all the manoeuvres of the host state, 84% of the UN member states do not recognise the pseudo "Saharawi republic" and, on the contrary, formal support for the autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco in 2007 has already surpassed the 100-country mark, and continues to grow day by day. 

Madam President, 

The "Polisario" has no right to speak on behalf of the Saharawis or to claim to represent them. The reality is that it only represents the interests of a large part of its wealthy leaders and the fulfilment of the objectives of its host country. 

The creation of the Sahrawi Movement for Peace (MSP), within the camps themselves, has broken the Polisario's monolithic nature in an emphatic way. 

Contrary to what happens in the camps, the majority of Saharawis elect their legitimate representatives through legislative, regional and communal elections held in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco. Through these elections, the Saharawis manage their own economic, social and cultural affairs in a democratic manner, within the framework of advanced regionalisation. The local elected representatives resulting from these elections participate, as representatives of the region, in the work of the Fourth Committee. 

By participating massively in the elections of 8 September 2021, the Saharawis have once again demonstrated their attachment to their Moroccan identity and to the territorial integrity of Morocco, and their rejection of the idea of a "Saharawi people" distinct from the Moroccan people. 

The Autonomy Initiative under Moroccan sovereignty is the only solution that will allow the Saharawis to realise their aspirations and live in stability, prosperity and democracy. 

Thank you for your attention. 

New York October 2023 Rafael Esparza Machín University lecturer 

Expert on Maghreb issues President of ACAMA (Asociación de Amistad Canario-Marroquí) 

Email: rafanaima@hotmail.com