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Rabat – A coalition of Sahrawi NGOs has strongly condemned the recent projectile attack near the southern Moroccan city of Es-Smara, calling it a “hostile act” and a grave violation of Morocco’s sovereignty and international law.
The incident, which caused panic among residents but resulted in no casualties, is widely believed to be the latest in a series of attacks carried out by the Polisario Front. The explosions occurred in an uninhabited area a few kilometers outside the city, close to a MINURSO camp. Images and videos shared online showed debris from the projectiles scattered in the area.
The United Nations Mission in the Sahara (MINURSO) visited the impact sites on Friday evening to conduct an on-the-ground assessment, according to local reports. The field visit, conducted in coordination with members of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, aimed to assess the damage and collect data for a detailed report that will be submitted to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
In a statement released after the incident, the coalition of Sahrawi NGOs expressed deep concern over what it described as the Polisario Front’s continued breach of the UN-brokered ceasefire agreement. It accused the group of intentionally targeting areas close to civilians in a desperate attempt to destabilize the region and spread fear.
Algeria under scrutiny
The coalition said local authorities recovered explosive shells near the urban center of Es-Smara, warning that such acts were aimed at harming civilians and striking at Morocco’s territorial integrity. The attack “signals an intentional targeting of a civilian urban environment in order to impose a new, unstable reality in the region,” the group said, adding that Algeria’s support and silence made it complicit in the escalation.
The statement blamed Algeria for allowing a non-state armed group to operate from its territory and carry out attacks against Morocco. According to the coalition, Algeria’s failure to control its borders and prevent such escalations makes it fully responsible for the ongoing military provocations.
It also warned that this incident reflects a pattern of indiscriminate violence and deliberate targeting of populated areas, contradicting Polisario’s claims that it only strikes military sites. “This, it argues, constitutes a breach of international law, norms, and conventions, and must be met with an appropriate international response.”
The NGO coalition reiterated its solidarity with the residents of Es-Smara and called on the UN Security Council to act swiftly to preserve peace and stability in the region. It urged Algeria to support peaceful dialogue and UN-led efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, instead of backing armed provocations.
This latest incident comes less than two years after a similar attack in Es-Smara in 2023, which killed one person and injured three others. In that case, Morocco’s UN ambassador Omar Hilale stated that the blasts struck civilian neighborhoods and noted that the Polisario had issued a statement indirectly taking responsibility.
“There were no military installations at any of the sites,” Hilale said in a press conference after the incident, adding that “targeting civilians is a terrorist act under international law, and those responsible will not go unpunished.”
Hilale also emphasized that those behind the attacks, as well as those who arm and support them, must be held accountable. He specifically referred to Algeria, which has been hosting, financing, and fully backing the Polisario for decades.
Polisario faces US pressure
Meanwhile, in the United States, a bipartisan effort is underway to designate the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization. US Republican Senator Joe Wilson and Democratic Representative Jimmy Panetta recently introduced the bill, which cites the group’s attacks on civilians and its renewed armed activities following the collapse of the 2020 ceasefire.
Wilson described Polisario as a “Marxist militia backed by Iran, Hezbollah and Russia providing Iran a strategic outpost in Africa and destabilizing the Kingdom of Morocco, a US ally for 248 years.”
The legislation cites the Polisario’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians and its rearmament after the collapse of the 2020 ceasefire. Lawmakers from both parties argue that this designation would enable enhanced sanctions, travel bans, and financial restrictions against the group. The bill reflects growing US concerns over renewed violence, especially following the ceasefire ending in late 2020.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara has been gaining significant diplomatic backing recently. Rabat’s comprehensive plan currently receives support from at least 113 countries, and the momentum is quickly growing.
In 2020, the US officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and expressed support for the Autonomy Plan, with American officials recently reiterating this stance.
In addition, France positively shifted tone in July 2024, labeling Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal “the only basis” for a just, lasting, UN-compliant settlement
On June 1 this year, the United Kingdom became the third permanent UN Security Council member, after the US and France, to endorse Morocco’s autonomy plan, calling it “the most credible, viable and pragmatic” path forward.
