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While Algeria consistently defends the Polisario by championing the principle of respecting borders inherited from colonialism, it quickly abandoned this «principle» when a group from Morocco’s Rif region announced the formation of a separatist «party» in September last year. Algeria has since supported this group, allowing it to establish a branch on its soil and host its activities.
An article on the official Algerian Radio website revealed that Algiers hosted the «first meeting of the National Rif Party outside Europe» on Saturday. The event was held under the theme «Republic of the Rif and the Right to Restore Independence».
Algeria invited guests from countries that traditionally support the Polisario, such as South Africa and Mozambique, to attend the meeting. At the event, Yuba El Ghadioui, a member of the «National Rif Party», praised Algeria’s «firm positions and principles», describing it as a «stronghold for revolutionaries».
Algeria responds to Sahara setbacks
The meeting also featured representatives of the Polisario Front, leaders of Algerian political parties, and parliamentarians. Echoing Polisario rhetoric about Western Sahara, El Ghadioui claimed that «the Republic of the Rif was never part of Morocco, and Morocco was never on the side of the Rifians defending their land».
He went further, advocating for replacing the narrative that Western Sahara is the «last colony in Africa» with the claim of «two remaining colonies in Africa», referring to both the Sahara and the Rif region. El Ghadioui argued that these «wounds in the continent's body» would only heal through independence.
In a manner reminiscent of Polisario propaganda, he accused the Moroccan government of committing «systematic genocide» against the Rifian people.
Despite the party's lack of support within the Rif region itself, El Ghadioui insisted that its demands were based on «historical and legal legitimacy» to reclaim what he described as «stolen rights».
The «National Rif Party» was established in September 2023 in Brussels and later opened a branch in Algiers. Its leaders have called for coordination with the Polisario to «confront the Moroccan occupation».
This development comes as many countries withdraw their recognition of the self-proclaimed Polisario «Republic» and declare their support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, endorsing the Moroccan autonomy plan as the only viable solution to the conflict.
