Algeria's Controversial Proposal Amidst International Scrutiny
Under the pressure of the Trump administration, Algeria has put forth a proposal regarding the future of the Tindouf camps, a move that has raised eyebrows in both Rabat and Washington. As reported by Moroccan sources, this initiative was discussed during a meeting between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, along with Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf. In response to the U.S. request for dismantling the camps, Tebboune initially asked for time to consider the proposal, without outright rejecting it. He suggested relocating the Sahrawis from the camps to a buffer zone located east of the Moroccan military’s Sand Wall.
This proposal has been perceived as a 'trap solution', primarily aimed at legitimizing the Polisario Front's claims of 'liberated territories' since the ceasefire in 1991. Accepting this suggestion would effectively acknowledge the 'control' of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) over parts of Western Sahara, a situation that contradicts the current ground realities. Following its withdrawal from the ceasefire agreements in November 2020, the Polisario has lost any significant civilian and military presence in the region.
Rejection and Political Ramifications
Both Morocco and the United States have firmly rejected the Algerian offer. The United Nations has yet to take an official position on this proposed transfer. Morocco has made it clear during previous discussions that it is willing to accept only those Sahrawis who can prove their roots in Western Sahara. A census conducted by Spain in 1974 is being cited as a potential basis for identifying individuals from the Tindouf camps who have legitimate ties to the territory. According to Yabiladi, the Spanish government has provided the UN with a comprehensive list of those registered in 1974 to facilitate the identification of eligible returnees. This documentation is crucial as it would challenge the inflated population figures claimed by the Polisario, which attempted to manipulate these numbers in the past.
Moreover, the Spanish census notably excludes certain groups, including Rguibates of Algerian origin, many of whom have held significant positions within the Polisario structure. After decades of contentious management of the Sahara issue, Algeria now finds itself in a precarious position. The presence of thousands of individuals, some armed and trained militarily, who maintain connections with separatist or jihadist groups active in the Sahel region poses a serious security challenge for the Algerian regime. In this context, the proposal to transfer the Tindouf camps to a buffer zone appears to be Algeria's attempt to avoid the repercussions of its prolonged political failures concerning the Sahara issue.
As reported by yabiladi.com.
