After Lahbib Abdelaziz's death, Algeria eyes Polisario archives

The Director General of Algeria’s National Archives, Mohamed Bounaama, visited the Tindouf camps on Wednesday, where he met with Polisario leader Brahim Ghali after touring the headquarters of the movement’s archives department. On the occasion, he reaffirmed his institution’s commitment to «supporting the Sahrawi Archives in the digitization of its documents», according to the Polisario’s news agency.

The initiative has nevertheless raised questions among some Sahrawis. «Under the guise of digitization, Algeria may be seeking to gain access to the Polisario’s entire archive», a Sahrawi source contacted by Yabiladi said.

The visit comes at a sensitive moment, just days after the death of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, who was killed on June 7 east of Morocco’s security berm.

According to the same source, Algerian intelligence services are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. Due to his affiliation with the Rguibat Cherq tribe, Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz was regarded as one of Algiers’ closest allies within the Polisario leadership.