Near a Sahrawi flag a Sahrawi man looks at the military ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of independence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in the Western Sahara village of Tifariti. (Photo: AFP - Dominique Faget)
The Polisario Front fighting for independence in the Western Sahara is facing a major crisis after the downfall of Gaddafi, its ally and patron. The Front may lose more friends after reports surfaced accusing it of supplying Gaddafi with mercenary fighters in his battle against the rebels.
Rabat — The Polisario Front, the rebel group at war with Morocco over the contested Western Sahara, had historically close ties with deposed Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. When the Libyan uprising began, several international news reports claimed that the Front — with secret support from Algeria — sent mercenaries to fight alongside Gaddafi’s forces during the first days of the rebellion. Polisario denies the allegations, though Libyan rebels recently uncovered documents at the Algerian Consulate in Tripoli allegedly confirming Polisario’s involvement. Rebel forces reportedly arrested nearly 500 Polisario mercenaries for collaborating with Gaddafi’s forces. Most of the prisoners were apprehended at Gaddafi’s Bab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli or in the town of Zawiya. Sources also claim that these mercenaries received large sums of money for each day they fought. British newspaper The Daily Telegraph said that Yeslem Beissat, former Polisario ambassador to Algeria who enjoys strong links with Algerian intelligence services and Gaddafi, mediated the deal.
Many believe that Polisario’s actions will weaken its ability to confront Morocco. It put itself in an awkward position vis-a-vis the great powers, particularly the US and France, both of which support the Moroccan initiative for self-rule in the Sahara provinces. Former American diplomat Edward Gabriel says that Polisario collaboration with Gaddafi against NATO and the rebels is “fomenting tension in the region” and threatening American interests. He adds that “the international community will have to intervene to punish it and deter it.”
According to sources at the Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria, the collapse of Gaddafi’s regime has shaken the Front’s leadership. Polisario’s president, Mohamed Abdelaziz, cut short his holiday on a Spanish island to return to Tindouf for an emergency meeting to discuss the unwelcome developments and explore new strategies for winning the war against Morocco. Polisario leaders reportedly discussed the plight of captured fighters by Libya’s new authorities. Their meeting was precipitated by increasingly vocal protests by families of the detained soldiers.
Polisario’s alliance with Algeria is also a matter of debate. Polisario’s former leader Mustafa Salma Wild Sidi Mawlood believes that the decision to stand by Gaddafi and send fighters to assist him was a “grave mistake.” He points out that this position “does not reflect the opinions of all Sahrawis who have supported the Libyan revolution from day one.”
Muhammad Rida al-Tawinji, a Moroccan analyst specializing in Western Saharan affairs, told al-Akhbar that Gaddafi was the organization’s largest funder since its founding. Moreover, Gaddafi was like “an ideological theorist and patron to this separatist movement.” Al-Tawinji expects that events in Libya will leave “Algeria as the sole supporter of Polisario’s project,” presenting a golden opportunity for Morocco to push its initiative for a semi-autonomous zone in Western Sahara. Gaddafi’s longstanding support for Polisario led Morocco to support the Libyan opposition, though they did not immediately recognize the rebel’s National Transitional Council. The delay was due to fears of reprisals against Moroccan citizens in Libya. Once the situation stabilized, the Moroccan regime publicly supported the Libyan opposition. Statements by Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the new Libyan authority, praised Morocco’s prominent role in the success of the Libyan revolt.
Although Gaddafi might find pockets of sympathy in Morocco, particularly among those who have leftist nationalist leanings, most Moroccans supported the Libyan opposition. Moroccans’ feelings turned against Gaddafi when he armed Polisario. He tried to mend fences with Rabat in the last few years, advising Polisario to return to Morocco and form a political party. However, many believe that this call was just another piece of diplomatic posturing between Tripoli and Rabat, despite Morocco’s open support for Gaddafi, even during his darkest hours when Western powers attacked Libya.
Saharawis flags blow in the wind in the Western Sahara village of Tifariti. (Photo: AFP – Dominique Faget)
Moroccan officials have always tried to befriend Gaddafi, even penalizing three newspapers that published articles critical of the Libyan regime. They also authorized major Libyan investments, particularly in oil and hotels, as well as in factories, real estate, and other joint ventures with Moroccan and international businesspeople. The historic relationship between the two countries is full of tension, particularly between their antithetical leaders, each refusing to be overshadowed by the other. The first meeting between Gaddafi and the late Moroccan King Hassan II, which took place at the Arab summit in 1969, became very tense when Gaddafi described a member of the Moroccan delegation kissing the hand of Hassan II as “harking back to slavery.” He also described Mohamed Oufkir, the Moroccan interior and defense minister, as a “killer.”
In 1971, Gaddafi proclaimed his support for the military coup against the Moroccan king and championed the ‘Free Officers.’ He asked Algeria to allow him to send planes across Algerian airspace to help them. When the coup failed, King Hassan II held a press conference subtly mocking Gaddafi with his famous statement: “We are separated from Libya not only by a desert of sands but also by a desert of intellectual backwardness.” In return, Gaddafi viewed the Moroccan regime as regressive and belonging to the colonialist camp, accused it of preventing the implementation of revolutionary thought, and sought its downfall.
In 1984, Gaddafi visited the city of Wajda in Morocco. A historic meeting brought him together with Hassan II and resulted in a joint cooperation agreement between the two countries. Under the agreement, Gaddafi pledge to cease funding Morocco’s Sahrawis separatists. But as late as two years ago, Gaddafi sought to support Polisario by any means. In 2009, an official Moroccan delegation went to Libya to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the conqueror’s rule, only to discover the presence of a delegation representing Polisario and its leaders at the celebrations. Prior to the event, Morocco received assurances that members of Polisario would not be participating. The Moroccan delegation withdrew and their armed forces cancelled their participation in the celebration.
This article is translated from the Arabic Edition.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/polisario-after-gaddafi-price-patronage
