Polisario involves the Red Cross in its militias’ «code of conduct» project

The proposed «code of conduct» for the Polisario’s armed militias, announced on May 13, is beginning to take shape. Experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) traveled to the Tindouf camps to lead training sessions for members of the Front on «international humanitarian law», Sahrawi media report.

The presence of an organization of this stature, founded in the 19th century, could allow the Polisario to try to repair its image, particularly after the wave of international condemnations that followed the May 5 attack targeting civilian sites in the city of Smara.

The Polisario could also use these training sessions, delivered by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, to respond to accusations of terrorism leveled against it. In the United States, two bills introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate call on President Donald Trump’s administration to place the Front on the list of terrorist organizations.

The proposed «code of conduct» is part of the framework for the creation of the «Sahrawi Military Coordination Office responsible for monitoring compliance with international humanitarian law».