In a statement circulated by its own news agency, the Polisario claims that the Syrian presidency denies the presence of its fighters in Syrian prisons—an apparent counteroffensive as the Front faces an international campaign to designate it a terrorist organization.
Did Ahmed Attaf convince the new Syrian authorities to maintain ties with the Polisario ? Judging by the cold reception given to the Algerian foreign minister in Damascus, this objective seems difficult to achieve.
After their involvement alongside Gaddafi's forces against Libyan opposition troops in 2011, a confidential document reveals that an agreement formalizing this cooperation was signed in January 2012 in Algeria, involving representatives from Algeria, the Polisario, and Syria.
Ties between the Ba'ath regime, which ruled Syria for decades, and Morocco were not always amicable, as Syria supported the Polisario and leftist opposition groups while aligning more closely with the Algerian regime.