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Doha – In a bizarre and embarrassing incident that illustrates the increasing desperation of the Polisario Front and its Algerian backers, an Algerian official attempted to pose as a representative of the self-styled “Sahrawi Republic” during a Japan-Africa summit in Tokyo on Friday.
The incident, which Moroccan officials denounced as a flagrant violation of diplomatic norms and a childish stunt, was swiftly and decisively handled by Japanese authorities who reiterated their unequivocal non-recognition of the separatist group.
A blatant violation of diplomatic decorum
The scandalous event unfolded during the preparatory meeting for the TICAD 9 (Tokyo International Conference on African Development), set to take place on August 24-25 in the Japanese capital.
The Ministerial Meeting brought together high-level officials from Japan and African UN member states, with invitations sent exclusively by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Neither the self-styled “SADR” nor the Polisario were invited, and the official list of participants did not include any mention of the separatist group.
The Algerian official in question had entered the meeting room with the credential of an “Algerian citizen,” armed with an Algerian passport.
He managed to conceal his true intentions until a shocking moment mid-discussion when he brazenly produced a sign reading “Sahrawi Republic” from his briefcase, causing astonishment and disarray among the attendees.
This premeditated act of deception visibly aimed to create the misleading impression that the separatist entity was a participant in the conference.
The Moroccan delegation immediately and forcefully protested what it described as childish and unethical behavior, denouncing the “hidden delegate”’s as a blatant breach of international diplomatic customs.
The Japanese representative swiftly intervened, reaffirming his country’s unambiguous position on the Sahara dispute.
Japan had not extended any invitation to the Polisario, he stressed, emphatically noting that the Japanese government does not recognize the separatist group.
The scandalous nature of this incident highlights Algeria’s role as the primary party in the regional dispute over the Western Sahara, as repeatedly acknowledged by UN Security Council resolutions in recent years.
Yet Algeria has consistently shirked its responsibility in the Sahara dispute, instead attempting to portray itself as a “concerned” observer or a mere supporter of Polisario rather than a key participant in the conflict.
The geopolitical rationale behind Algeria’s embarrassing stunt
This desperate stunt by the Algerian government to provide a platform for the Polisario’s increasingly failing narrative on the Western Sahara dispute was a glaring embarrassment for the Algerian delegation.
It laid bare the outrageous lengths to which the Algerian establishment will go in its attempt to disrupt the growing diplomatic consensus in favor of Morocco’s position on the Western Sahara question.
This consensus has been bolstered by a series of developments in recent years that have seen Morocco gain significant ground in UN-moderated diplomatic efforts to settle the dispute.
The Trump White House’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in late 2020 was a major turning point.
This was followed by Spain’s backing of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan in 2022 and, most recently, French President Emmanuel Macron’s support for the plan as the “only basis” for resolving the conflict.
These shifts in position by major powers have been accompanied by a growing number of countries opening diplomatic representations in Morocco’s southern provinces.
Following the opening of a Chadian consulate in Dakhla earlier this month, the number of consulates in the region has reached 29, with Dakhla alone hosting 17. The Dominican Republic has also expressed its intention to open a consulate in the city.
This diplomatic momentum in favor of Morocco has left the Polisario and its supporters increasingly isolated. Even within the African Union, where the self-styled “Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic” (SADR) retains recognition, support for Polisario’s separatist aspirations is increasingly waning.
A recent report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa noted that while the SADR is recognized by the AU, “quite a few nations are sitting on the fence,” with around 22 African states recognizing the SADR and several others withdrawing or freezing their recognition in recent years.
Strikingly, even some South African officials are losing faith in the Polisario’s cause. An official quoted in the ISS report perceived “an erosion of support for the SADR and a steady growth in support for Morocco’s claim to sovereignty.”
Morocco’s Autonomy Plan has become the only acceptable political horizon
The Polisario’s failing international standing has been further underscored by a recent report from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), which declared the Western Sahara dispute effectively over and urged parties to negotiate terms for a resolution that favors Morocco’s position.
The report highlighted that with the growing international recognition of Moroccan sovereignty and Morocco’s de facto control of the territory, the “Polisario have no option other than a negotiated settlement.”
Taken together, these developments paint a picture of a Polisario Front that is not only losing ground diplomatically but is also facing internal pressures.
As the USIP report noted, Polisario leaders face pressure from a new generation of Sahrawis who “agitate for a more violent approach.” For these leaders to give up on independence without triggering a revolt, they “must be able to claim a victory otherwise defined.”
In this context, the embarrassing incident at the Japan-Africa summit appears as a desperate attempt by Algeria and the Polisario to gain some semblance of international legitimacy in the face of an increasingly untenable position.
However, analysts stress that the expulsion of the Polisario from the AU is becoming increasingly likely, given the significant regional and international shifts in favor of Morocco’s position.
They point to the recent exclusion of the Polisario from participating in international summits and forums involving the AU and its external partners as a clear sign of the growing African consensus supporting Morocco’s stance on the issue.
The prospect of the Polisario’s expulsion from the AU is seen as a matter of time by many experts, who argue that the necessary political and legal conditions are gradually falling into place.
They highlight the growing number of African countries reassessing their relations with the Polisario and expressing support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
In the coming months and years, these developments could translate into mounting pressure within the AU to reconsider the Polisario’s membership and role in the organization.
