Syrian Party Calls for Including Polisario Front in Country's Terror List

Morocco World

a day ago

Tangier — The Free Syrian Party has urged Syria's new leadership to include the separatist Polisario Front in an official list of banned terrorist organizations on Syrian territory.
The party specifically wants the Polisario Front included on this list, along with other extremist militias that killed Syrian civilians.
The Free Syrian Party, formerly known as the National Salvation Front in Syria, made this call in a statement, commending ongoing legislative efforts in the US Congress to add Polisario to American terrorism lists.
Syria closes Polisario offices
The Syrian political organization renewed its support for the new Syrian leadership's decision to shut down Polisario offices inside Syria, describing the move a 'brave step that exposes the separatist organization's true nature.'
The Free Syrian Party described Polisario as a group backed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
According to the statement, the party said that Iran employed Polisario as one of its tools to kill the Syrian people during the country's civil war.
Call for Western Sahara recognition
The party also urged the current Syrian government to officially recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara. This recognition would help repair the damage that the previous ousted Bashar Al Assad's regime caused to historic Syrian-Moroccan relations.
The Free Syrian Party said quick recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces has become an urgent political necessity, arguing that it would prevent any malicious efforts to block progress in fixing Syrian-Moroccan relations.
Building better relations with Morocco
The party expressed its commitment to building the best possible relations with Morocco, calling on the Middle Eastern country to draw lessons from Morocco's accumulated experience and expertise across various fields.
The Free Syrian Party believes the North African country's experience could help transform Damascus' security and military institutions. Morocco could also assist Syria in its transitional phase, particularly with reconstruction projects, development initiatives, and local administration reform.
The party expressed its desire for the country to maintain strong relations with Morocco, noting that it comes from understanding Rabat's importance and influence in regional and international politics. The organization recognizes Morocco's significant weight in diplomatic affairs.
Background context
The Free Syrian Party's statement comes as Syria's new government works to rebuild the country after years of civil war.
The new leadership has begun reviewing Syria's international relationships and closing offices of organizations it considers problematic.
The call to designate Polisario as a terrorist group aligns with similar efforts by other Arab nations and the US.
US Republican Joe Wilson has recently submitted a legislation bill titled 'Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act,' aimed at designating the Polisario Front as a terrorist group. Submitted alongside Democratic Representative Jimmy Panetta, the bill directly links the group to extensive arms and drug trafficking networks operating in the Sahel region.
It also features some of the separatist group's violations of international law, including established ceasefire agreements with Morocco and calculated attacks targeting Moroccan civilians in the region.
Morocco has been attracting support from international countries on its Autonomy Plan as the only serious and credible path toward a lasting political resolution. Tags: Morocco and SyriaPolisarioWestern sahara