Polisario terrorist designation bill gains new support in U.S. Congress

State Department avoids naming Polisario in heated questions on Sahel terror threat

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on countering terrorism in North Africa, Republican Senator Ted Cruz pressed officials to clarify whether U.S. references to terrorist threats in the Sahel were aimed at the Polisario Front. The responses, however, were described by as «evasive» in an otherwise heated session.

What a U.S. terrorist designation could mean for the Polisario Front

The bipartisan proposal to designate the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization is reshaping the diplomatic landscape surrounding the Western Sahara issue. While the bill alone does not guarantee the designation, it places unprecedented pressure on the U.S. State Department. What concrete impact could such a move have on the Sahrawi movement, its international backers, starting with Algeria, and the broader handling of the conflict in multilateral forums?