Antonio Guterres : Small drones flew over FAR units in the Sahara

In his report on the situation in Western Sahara, submitted to the Security Council on October 1, UN Secretary-General António Guterres revealed that drones had flown over positions held by the Royal Armed Forces.

«The FAR reported, on 14 occasions to MINURSO, flights over its units by small, unmanned surveillance aircraft in the area of Oum Dreiga», located approximately 280 km east of Dakhla, the Portuguese stated in paragraph 40 of his report. The Secretary General did not specify either the type of small drones or the party to which the aircraft belonged.

For the record, in October 2022, the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Omar Hilale, warned Iran against supplying drones to the Polisario.

Last July, the Front's media broadcast images and a video showcasing training for armed Polisario elements, accompanied by a small unmanned surveillance aircraft that could potentially contain explosive charges.