Rabat – In their latest updates to the travel guidance for Algeria, the Spanish Foreign Ministry as well the United States Embassy in Algeria have warned its citizens against visiting the Tindouf camps.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry cited a “terrorist threat against Spanish citizens in the area of the Sahrawi camps” due to “increased instability in northern Mali and resulting heightened activity by terrorist groups in the region.” The advisory recommends Spanish citizens avoid travel to the camps and leave if already there.
The US Embassy released a similar security alert noting an “increased risk of kidnapping Westerners” and urging Americans to avoid the Tindouf area until at least March 15.
The US advisory tells Americans in Algeria to be vigilant in touristic areas where other Westerners congregate. It advises having evacuation plans ready and keeping travel documents up to date.
The Polisario Front, the separatist group challenging Morocco’s territorial integrity in Western Sahara, has strongly criticized the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s recent travel advisory as “reproachable and ill-timed.”
Abdulah Arabi, Polisario Front’s representative in Spain, framed the warning as an “attempt to hinder solidarity with the camps and undermine the Sahrawi cause.”
He suggested the timing, just days before the 24th annual Sahara Marathon event, “was an intentional obstruction.”
Both Spain and the US have clearly expressed their backing for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Earlier in February, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares renewed the country’s position toward Morocco’s autonomy initiative a few days after the cancellation of his visit to Algeria.
Additionally, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joshua Harris reaffirmed American support for Morocco’s plan during an official visit to Morocco in September 2023.
Both countries’ recent travel warnings reflect growing security concerns around Tindouf due to terrorist groups operating in the Sahel region nearby.
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