By Belhouari Hamid
By Belhouari Hamid
Morocco World News
December 8, 2011
The arrest this week in Nouadhibou (north-western Mauritania) of two elements of the Polisario, who had kidnapped in October, three European humanitarian workers in the Rabouni camp, near Tindouf, has exposed the true face of the Polisario separatists.
How big was the surprise and amazement of humanitarian NGOs and the media, especially in Spain, France and Italy when they heard the news confirming the involvement of Polisario elements in the kidnapping of three Western nationals and their delivery to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Until then, these NGOs and associations dedicated to humanitarian causes, as well as some political groups were generously supporting and providing assistance to the Sahrawi populations sequestered in Tindouf, in southwest Algeria.
Moreover, these NGO’s and political groups supported blindly the Polisario leaders, whose thesis they defended tooth and nail at every opportunity. Now they know for a fact that among the militias and Polisario officials, there are unequivocally cells directly affiliated with AQIM emirs operating in northern Mali and in parts of the Sahel.
After the arrest Monday of Mamina Laaguir Abdelaziz Ahmed Baba and Aghdafna Mohamed Ould Hamadi Ahmed Baba, two Polisario elements suspected of being the perpetrators of the kidnapping of two Spanish an Italian aid workers in Tindouf, the Mauritanian security services announced that they were on the trail of other suspects in connection with the abduction of 23 October, who is also believed to be from the Polisario.
In light of these revelations, the Italian daily “the Unione Sarda” (Sardinian union) said in its Wednesday edition that the Italian humanitarian worker Rossella Urru, kidnapped in Tindouf, along with two Spaniards, had been “betrayed “by elements of the Polisario who then delivered her to a cell of AQIM.
The young humanitarian Rossella was abducted “by a band of Polisario traitors and sold to a North African al Qaeda cell in exchange for a large financial compensation”, the Italian newspaper added.
In late October, the same newspaper wrote that the Tindouf area turned into a “new Afghanistan” and was now “a very dangerous area for Westerners.”
The kidnapping, said the author of the article, comes as a “confirmation that this area (Tindouf) is infiltrated by elements of al Qaeda, who are ready to betray humanitarian workers and sell them.”
Despite all the evidence and testimonies that point to the connection between the separatist saharawi movement and the terrorist network AQIM, the Polisario leadership, which enjoys unconditional support from the Algerian government, continues to deny any involvement of his men in such operations.
