Rabat – Mustafa Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud, a former leading Polisario member has acknowledged the failure of the separatist group to meet the basic demands of Sahrawis living in Tindouf, Algeria.
On the 44th anniversary of Morocco’s Green March, Mustafa Salma expressed regret that the Polisario has failed the aspirations of Sahrawis. He added that the Sahrawis are isolated in desert camps pending a political solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
Posting a photo of the southern city of Laayoune, part of Western Sahara, the former Polisario member recognized Morocco’s efforts in turning the towns of the region into model cities.
Mustafa Salma compared the city of Laayoune with Tindouf where thousands of camps lay in the middle of nowhere.
“I wanted to believe that Morocco organized a ‘black march’ to the Sahara and that the Polisario organized a ‘green march’ for the Sahrawis to Algeria,” said Mustafa Salma.
Commenting on the images of Laayoune and Tindouf, he said that the photos proved him wrong.
“Morocco’s ‘black march’ has turned the Saharan cities into model cities among all other [neighboring cities] at least better than southern Algeria, Mauritania and southern Libya,” he argued.
Mustafa Salma regretted that Polisario’s “green” march only served to move“ Sahrawis from tents to camps.”
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Mustafa Salma is a critic of the Polisario leadership and its failure to meet the basic rights of Sahrawis in Tindouf, including the rights to assembly and freedom of movement.
The Polisario arrested Fadel Braika in June, along with Moulay Aba Bouzid, and Mahmoud Zidane for their participation in peaceful protests. The three activists were calling for freedom of speech and movement in Tindouf camps.
The breakaway movement also continues to refuse to disclose information on the disappearance of Polisario Front member Ahmed El Khalil, who has been missing since 2009.
Polisario and Algerian intelligence kidnapped El Khalil just two months after Polisario appointed him to monitor human rights in Tindouf camps in 2009.
French lawyer and author Hubert Seillan has threatened to take El Khalil’s case to the international criminal court as the Polisario Front maintains their silence on the forced disappearance.
