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On Wednesday, August 20, Mauritanian customs officials intercepted a major shipment of smuggled fuel linked to the Polisario Front. «The operation led to the seizure of two trucks transporting 61 tons of illicit diesel in the Inchiri province, located in the western part of the country. The trucks were identified by license plates SH40322700 and SH3018719», the customs service said in a press release. License plates beginning with «SH» are typically associated with Polisario vehicles.
«This operation is part of ongoing efforts by customs to protect the national economy and combat smuggling networks, in line with the strict policies enforced by the General Administration of Customs», Mauritanian authorities added.
Fuel trafficking has long been a source of tension within the Polisario. In April 2024, the Tindouf camps witnessed a mutiny led by militiamen from the «first military region», who took their commander hostage after accusing him of diverting some 25 tons of fuel to the Mauritanian market. By July, the rebellion had led to the defection of around a hundred fighters.
In September 2024, a Sahrawi media outlet accused Polisario leader Brahim Ghali of running a network siphoning off Algerian-supplied fuel destined for military regions. According to the report, the operation was delegated to one of his brothers and a cousin.
The same source also alleged that the Polisario sells part of this fuel to MINURSO teams operating in the so-called «liberated zones», east of the Sand Wall built by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR).
