The Polisario: an imminent threat to Spain and Europe

1. From humanitarian aid to jihadist indoctrination 
2. Spain and Europe cannot continue to ignore the problem 
3. It is time to act: the Polisario must be declared a terrorist group 

This is not an isolated case: it is another link in a chain of evidence that security experts have been denouncing for years. The Maghreb and Europe are in the crosshairs. 

Intelligence reports have revealed direct links between the Polisario and jihadist groups active in the Sahel. The presence of radicalised Sahrawi leaders—men born in the Tindouf camps—leading terrorist cells such as ISWAP (Islamic State in West Africa Province) has been documented. Most alarmingly, many of these individuals speak perfect Spanish, having spent their childhood in the ‘Holidays in Peace’ programme in Spain. Today, with that knowledge and their connections, they can incite violence within Europe. 

From humanitarian aid to jihadist indoctrination 

‘Holidays in Peace’ began as a solidarity initiative, allowing Sahrawi children to spend the summer in Spain. However, both Algeria and the Polisario have used the programme for political and propaganda purposes. The accusation is clear: many minors have been manipulated and indoctrinated after their return to the camps. Some have later ended up joining terrorist networks that today directly threaten Spain and Europe. 

But the problem does not end there. Pro-Polisario activists have been convicted in Spain for spreading jihadist propaganda and collaborating with figures of global terrorism. A case in point is that of Adnan Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi, a former member of the Polisario and leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, who was killed in 2021 in a French drone strike. His terrorist career began precisely in the Tindouf camps. 

Spain and Europe cannot continue to ignore the problem 

One of the terrorists recently arrested in Spain has close ties to Khatri Addouh, the Polisario Front's ambassador to Algeria. The evidence is overwhelming: the link between the Polisario and jihadist terrorism is real. Not only do they facilitate illegal migration, drug trafficking and human trafficking, they also export their violence to the European continent. 

European intelligence services have warned that the risk of infiltration by fighters via migration routes is extremely high. Europe has already seen how weapons from conflicts in Libya, Syria and Mali have ended up in the hands of terrorist cells within the EU. The connection with the Polisario is not speculation, it is a documented fact. 

It is time to act: the Polisario must be declared a terrorist group 

The United States and the United Kingdom have long warned about the Polisario as a global threat. Influential organisations such as the Hudson Institute have stated that the group is not a legitimate liberation movement, but a militia serving hostile agendas. Its inclusion on terrorist lists would give authorities the tools to neutralise its influence. 

The evidence is clear: Spain and the EU cannot continue to ignore the threat. Radicalisation will not stop on its own. Designating the Polisario as a terrorist organisation is more urgent than ever. Europe's security is at stake. 

Article previously published by the Federation of Journalists of Peru.