Former US Senator Jim Inhofe, key Polisario Front supporter, passes away at 89

Former Republican US Senator Jim Inhofe has passed away at the age of 89 after suffering a stroke, according to US media reports. Inhofe was elected to a fifth term in the Senate in 2020 but stepped down in 2022.

This marks a significant loss for the Polisario Front, as Inhofe had been one of its most prominent supporters in the United States. The late senator had visited the Tindouf camps in February 2019 and met with the separatist front's leader, Brahim Ghali.

In February 2021, he successfully persuaded 26 Democratic and Republican senators to sign a letter urging the Biden administration to annul its decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.

In July 2022, just a few months before his retirement, Inhofe, as chairman of the Senate Defense Committee, called on the Biden administration to move the African Lion military exercise out of Morocco.

Throughout his career, Inhofe had been a vigorous advocate for the Polisario Front within the Republican Party and the Senate.