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Rabat – Member of European Parliament (MEP) Brice Hortefeux has warned the international community of the connection between Polisario and terrorist groups.
In a recent letter to the European Parliament, the French MEP recalled the worrying situation in the Sahel and Sahara, stressing that it has “dramatically worsened in recent years.”
“The region is faced with an alarming increase in illicit arms, contraband, and terrorism,” Hortefeux said, noting that there are “indications that Polisario… is in league with terrorist groups.”
Hortefeux, who also served as a former Interior Minister in France, argued that the indications also link Polisario with supplying terror groups with weapons and logistical support, “including fuel.”
“These links between Polisario and terrorist groups are nothing new,” the MEP said, recalling that the founder of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara Abu Walid Al Sahrawi was a Polisario member.
French forces carried out a drone operation last year that resulted in the death of the terrorist leader.
Al-Sahrawi was involved in a long series of violent, lethal attacks in Sahel, a region that is frequently described as a “fertile and safe haven” for terrorist groups.
In his written letter, Hortefeux also asked the European Commission whether it has any plans to “audit the funding provided” for the Polisario Front to “ascertain that it is being used only to achieve humanitarian goals.”
The MEP also asked the European Commission for information on the measures taken to prevent “potential collaboration between Polisario and terrorist groups.”
The MEP’s concerns are not the first of its kind to warn about Polisario’s involvement in illegal actions that undermine the security of the region.
In October, several petitioners in the UN Fourth Committee echoed concerns about Polisario’s regional security threats.
Abdoul Latif Aidara from the African Center for Strategic Intelligence said Polisario is “well known for criminal activities and ties to terrorist groups.”
A member of World Action for Refugees Eric Cameron echoed a similar statement in the committee, emphasizing that the recruitment of child soldiers in the camps is a “danger to North Africa and the entire Sahel region.”
