International Calls to Label Polisario as Terrorists Intensify Amid Scrutiny of Separatists' Violent Past
Igacio Ortiz published a new opinion piece on June 10 in La Provincia, in which he recalled Polisario's terrorist attacks against workers from Fos Bucraa, fishermen from the Canary Islands, and civilians from the Basque Country, among others.
The author cited well-documented attacks reported by the Canary Association of Victims of Terrorism, also known as ACAVITE, noting that similar crimes reveal 'glaring historical evidence of terrorism' that the US cannot overlook.
Violent past against Spanish workers
ACAVITE has long been filing complaints against Polisario, calling for justice due to the separatist group's involvement in assassinating 300 people, mostly businessmen and fishermen. It also advocated for victims who were injured, tortured, or kidnapped by Polisario's militia between 1970 and 1980. Spain has acknowledged the presence of victims of the Polisario Front but failed to hold the Polisario leader responsible.
In April 2021, Polisario's leader Brahim Ghali entered Spanish soil under a fake passport and the fake name of Mohamed Ben Battouch to escape judicial cases and complaints against him. He traveled to Spain for hospitalization, a case that sparked political tension with Morocco.
It was not until April 2022 that Spain and Morocco opened a new chapter in their relations when Madrid endorsed Morocco's Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible political solution to end the dispute.
For the author, similar calls to designate the Polisario as a terrorist group should not be a mere political theater.
'On the contrary, it should be a moral imperative,' the opinion piece reads, recalling Polisario's direct involvement in war crimes and terror attacks against workers from Fos Bucara and fishermen from the Canary Islands and the Basque Country.
Notably, the piece zoomed in on Polisario leader Ghali and his direct involvement in terrorist attacks, noting his past included coordinated attacks killing seven Spanish crew members in 1978 in a high-profile crime referred to as the Cruz del Mar incident.
Ghali, who was Polisario's Minister of Defense at the time, was also involved in the Mencey de Abona hijacking in 1980, where Captain Domingo Quintana was found strangled with a Polisario flag tied around his body.
'These are just a couple of examples among many, despite the political and media silence, particularly in the Canary Islands,' the author wrote.
The piece further stressed that Polisario's crimes are backed by Spanish court documents and extensive press archives, showing that the group has been operating as a terrorist militia for decades.
Ortiz also recalled the growing calls from politicians worldwide, urging their countries to label the Polisario Front as a terrorist group.
International appeal
In April, US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson announced that he would introduce legislation to that effect. 'I will introduce legislation to designate the Polisario as terrorists,' Wilson said, accusing Algeria and Russia of using the separatist front to gain a strategic foothold in Africa.
Liam Fox, former Secretary of State for Defense in the UK, also made the same appeal earlier this year, saying: 'Like Hamas and Hezbollah, the Polisario Front is an Iranian proxy organisation. For the sake of our Moroccan allies, Western governments must move quickly to designate this group as a terrorist organisation.'
Several research institutions and think tanks made similar appeals, shattering Polisario's self-portrayal as a liberation movement and unmasking its terrorist acts as an armed group that is involved in terrorist attacks, arms smuggling, and the indoctrination of youth.
Among these institutions is the Hudson Institute, which recently stated: 'The Polisario Front claims to fight for self-determination in the region. But the organization carries a legacy of destabilization.'
A new report from The National Interest made similar remarks in a new publication authored by Ahmed Sahrawi, who recalled the ongoing momentum in favor of Morocco's position in Western Sahara.
Notably, the piece recalled the UK's newfound position, endorsing the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible political framework to end the dispute for the first time in the country's history.
Over 113 countries, including Kenya and Ghana, have joined the chorus to emphasize the viability of the autonomy initiative as the sole path to end the Western Sahara dispute, long exploited by the Algerian regime to advance its interests and challenge Morocco's territorial integrity over its southern provinces.
La Provincia's new opinion piece recalled all the latest publications that have shed light on Polisario's criminal record, including the Washington Post's latest report quoting European officials who confirmed that Polisario fighters, based in Algeria, received training from Iran's proxy Hezbollah.
'Over the years, Iran has fostered a wide array of proxy groups to advance its interests,' the report said, quoting a regional official and a third European official who said Iran trained fighters from the 'Algeria-based Polisario Front,' who are now detained by Syria's new security forces.
It also detailed the threats Polisario has directed at anyone and any country cooperating with Morocco, including Mauritania.
'Mustafa Sayed had already defended terrorism a year earlier, using his typical violent and dangerous rhetoric to incite Sahrawis to carry out terrorist acts against Moroccan interests in Western Sahara,' La Provincia wrote.
Concluding the opinion piece, Ortiz said the US administration has an opportunity to declare Polisario a terrorist organization 'not only for its alliances with Iran or Hezbollah, but for its crimes against the citizens of Spain.' Tags: Brahim GhaliPolisario Front
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