A promotional video by the Global Sumud Flotilla defending the Polisario Front’s stance on the Sahara has triggered strong backlash in Morocco, where political and civil actors denounced it as a serious deviation from the initiative’s pro-Gaza mission. The PJD and pro-Palestinian organizations are calling for an apology and an investigation, warning that the controversy risks undermining support for the flotilla.
After a tour of several countries in Southern Africa, the Polisario Front is once again turning to South Africa. Its foreign affairs chief made an urgent trip to Paris to deliver a message to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, containing new proposals for resolving the Sahara issue.
Morocco has reached a new milestone in its academic cooperation with Spain, with the Sahara now included in university partnerships and a visit by rectors from the Canary Islands to Dakhla and Laâyoune. The momentum has irritated the Polisario, especially as one of the officials in attendance, once close to its positions, now represents a symbolic setback for the Front.
Weakened by a series of diplomatic setbacks in Latin America and facing dwindling international support, the Polisario is stepping up its initiatives in southern Africa, seen as its last major stronghold.