Polisario suffers diplomatic setback at SADC Summit

The Algeria-backed Polisario Front has suffered a fresh diplomatic setback at the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit,where its efforts to gain support for its separatist agenda were quietly rebuffed.

The summit’s final communiqué made no mention of the Polisario or its self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),signaling a shift in regional sentiment and a growing alignment with Morocco’s position.

This omission is seen as a strategic defeat for the Polisario,which has long relied on support from certain southern African states hovering around South Africa’s orbit.

In recent years,however,countries such as Zambia,Malawi,and the Democratic Republic of Congo have deepened diplomatic and economic ties with Morocco,recognizing its sovereignty over the Sahara territory and endorsing the Kingdom’s autonomy plan.

The setback at the SADC summit comes amid a broader continental decline in support for the Polisario. In July 2024,the African Union Executive Council voted overwhelmingly to ban the Polisario from participating in international summits,including those involving the United States,China,and Russia

The decision was prompted by repeated disruptions caused by the Polisario’s presence at high-level forums,and reflects a growing consensus that only UN-recognized states should be allowed to participate.

Meanwhile,the diplomatic isolation of the Polisario has deepened globally. The United Kingdom,joining the United States,France,Spain,and Germany,has formally backed autonomy for the Sahara under Morocco’s sovereignty.

In Latin America,carpet is being pulled from under the feet of Algeria and its Polisario puppet. Ecuador and Panama have also revoked recognition of the SADR and expelled Polisario representatives from their territories.

Meanwhile,the UN mission MINURSO braces for a strategic shift in its mission to facilitate negotiations on the basis of the autonomy plan.