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Rabat – Belgium has strongly condemned the recent attack on the Moroccan southern city of Es-Smara, which Polisario claimed responsibility for, according to a statement from the Belgian Embassy in Morocco.
The statement added that Belgium calls on all parties to respect the ceasefire and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797, which supports renewed efforts to reach a political solution to the long-running Western Sahara conflict.
The European country also emphasized the need for “good faith” participation in ongoing negotiations and referred to the Moroccan autonomy proposal as the basis for a “just, lasting and mutually acceptable” solution.
Belgium added that dialogue under United Nations guidance remains the only path forward to avoid further escalation.
The recent attack is not an isolated incident. Polisario has targeted the southern city multiple times in recent years.
Morocco’s autonomy proposal ‘lays out the path to peace’
Earlier attacks on Es-Smara and the surrounding areas have caused concern among local residents and international observers, even when they resulted in limited material damage or no casualties.
Belgium joins a growing list of countries that have condemned the latest attack. The United States mission to the United Nations also criticized the incident, calling it a threat to regional stability and warning that such actions undermine peace efforts.
“The time to end this 50-year-old dispute is now,” the mission wrote, recalling the UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which calls on all parties to actively participate to reach an end to the conflict.
“The Moroccan Autonomy Proposal lays out the path to peace in Western Sahara. We call on all those resisting peace to genuinely commit to a brighter future. The status quo cannot continue,” the US mission added.
France has also expressed condemnation, describing the attack as a danger to regional stability and reaffirming support for Morocco’s autonomy plan under United Nations-led negotiations.
“France calls on the Polisario Front to respect the ceasefire and the aforementioned (2797) resolution,” according to a statement from the French Embassy in Morocco.
The European Union has also released a statement saying “the latest attack on Es-Smara must be condemned.”
“This is not the time for escalation, but rather for negotiation in accordance with Security Council resolution 2797 (2025) on the basis of Morocco’s autonomy plan, in order to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution that is consistent with the Charter of the United Nations,” added the EU.
The diplomatic pressure on the Polisario comes as US lawmakers advance bipartisan efforts in both the House and Senate to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization over ties to Iranian-affiliated groups.
