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Urging a special meeting to «save the Polisario from extinction», Bachir Mustapha Sayed has presented a detailed plan resembling an electoral program. It outlines promises, ambitions, and criticism of Brahim Ghali's leadership. He blamed the renewed fighting on November 13, 2020.
«While initial conditions were positive and momentum was in our favor, war is war», he acknowledged. «The enemy not only maintained all their capabilities built during the first fifteen years of fighting (1976 to 1991) but has improved them», bemoaned Sayed. On the other hand, the Polisario embarked on «this war without defining objectives or stages for achieving them». he noted. He attributed this failure to «lack of leadership» and the «underdeveloped state of the institutions».
It's worth remembering that on the eve of the 16th Congress in January 2013, held in the Tindouf camps, Bachir Sayed had criticized Brahim Ghali for «not assuming his responsibility» in leading the fight against the Royal Armed Forces. «If he had been able to manage this situation, his reputation would have surpassed that of Mustapha El Ouali and Mohamed Abdelaziz». he said.
Algeria escapes criticism
Sayed's assessment of Sahrawi activist groups is blunt. «We relied on a small number of well-known activists who sometimes gathered in a house, chanting slogans and sending media photos of themselves and a few descriptions of the enemy's repressive measures», he said.
He criticized their approach, stating that «the people's rejection of the occupation is expressed through clashes, demonstrations, and sit-ins». Notably, during his stint as head of the «Ministry of the Occupied Territories» from September 2016 to January 2020, Bashir Mustapha Sayed had condemned the «keyboard warriors» led by Aminatou Haidar and Ali Tamek. In May 2024, he called on Polisario supporters in the Sahara to carry out terrorist attacks against the «Moroccan occupation» and «foreign investment» in the province.
In his roadmap, Sayed did not forget to highlight the Polisario's «diplomatic achievements». Setting an ambitious goal, he promised «membership of the Sahrawi Republic in the United Nations».
Interestingly, Bachir Mustapha Sayed avoided criticizing Algeria in his indictment. Back in 2002, Algiers had not appreciated his audacity in negotiating the future of the Sahara with the United States, without its authorization. As head of diplomacy, he had proposed to the Americans recognition of the «SADR» in exchange for a US military base after the conflict ended. This initiative earned him a long period of disgrace.
