Morocco’s DGED infiltrated the Polisario from Latin America
An unprecedented dive into the secret workings of Moroccan diplomacy and intelligence. A series of confidential correspondence, dated October 2008 and originating from the Moroccan embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, reveals how Rabat orchestrated an infiltration and diplomatic counteroffensive strategy to weaken the Polisario Front and counter Algerian influence in Central America by leveraging intelligence provided by Sahrawi diplomat Salama Ould Hennane.
Addressed directly to Yassine El Mansouri, head of the DGED (Directorate General for Studies and Documentation — Morocco’s external intelligence service), these letters signed by Ambassador Dr Brahim Housseine Moussa highlight deep tribal divisions among the separatists and major geopolitical shifts, particularly in Panama.
The Rguibate versus the other tribes: a tribal argument to fracture the Polisario
At the heart of these revelations lies a golden opportunity for Rabat: the potential defection of senior Polisario figures. The Moroccan ambassador reports being approached repeatedly by a certain M. Sliman, the pseudonym of Salama Ould Hennane, a native of Dakhla from the Oulad Dlim tribe and a former “ambassador” of the SADR to Panama and Central America.
Sliman’s assessment is blunt: a “very strong discontent” is shaking the separatist movement. The cause? Blatant favoritism by the Polisario leadership towards the Rguibate tribe, to the detriment of other tribal components — Oulad Dlim, Oulad Tidrarine, Ait Lahcen, Ait Baamran, and the Takna confederation.
For the former separatist diplomat, the time is perfect to deliver a decisive blow to the movement:
“This is the ideal moment to take action within the Polisario, to further weaken it and unite the movement’s opponents around the autonomy project.”
Sliman claims to have secured the agreement of several prominent SADR figures to launch an internal rebellion, including:
- Ahmed ould Souilem (Deputy Minister for Arab Affairs).
- Mahfoud Ould Ahmed Zine (former minister and regional military chief).
- Mansour (former Foreign Affairs minister and representative in Paris).
The plan proposed to the DGED is audacious: push these figures to form an official opposition group, announce their dissent at an international press conference (likely in Madrid), and publicly declare their support for the Autonomy Plan proposed by Morocco. Ambassador Moussa would later suggest to his superiors that Sliman be used as an “infiltrated agent” to carry out this destabilization.
The battle for Central America: Algeria’s “blank check”
Beyond internal conflicts, the letters reveal a fierce influence war between Rabat and Algiers in Latin America. In October 2008, Moroccan diplomacy learned that a major Algerian delegation, led by Algeria’s ambassador to Washington, M. Baali, was preparing a tour of Central America.
Algiers’ goal? To counter the progress of Morocco’s autonomy plan presented at the UN. To win over Latin capitals, Algeria pulled out all the stops, offering a “package of cooperation projects” (meaning financial and economic aid) in exchange for alignment with separatist positions. Simultaneously, the Polisario dispatched its envoy Mohamed Yaslem Beissat to Panama to try to plug the leaks.
The strategic pivot of Panama
Panama emerged as the real epicenter of this tug-of-war. The documents confirm a major chill between Panama City and the separatists. Panamanian authorities refused to accredit a new SADR ambassador, downgrading the Sahrawi representation to the lower rank of simple “chargé d’affaires.”
Faced with this gesture, the Moroccan ambassador sounded the alarm in Rabat: Panama expected a reciprocal move. The diplomat urged Morocco to send an official envoy to seal this bilateral warming and permanently block the Algerians.
In a final lobbying effort, the Moroccan diplomat confirmed he had activated his trusted networks within the Panamanian government to block the Polisario’s requests, brandishing a thinly veiled threat: any reversal by Panama “could harm bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Morocco.”
Mohamed Abdelaziz’s secret agenda
As proof of the precision of intelligence gathered by the embassy, the document dated October 27, 2008, details the upcoming schedule of the then-Polisario leader, Mohamed Abdelaziz: a visit to New York on November 4 to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, followed by a trip on November 9 to Valencia, Spain, for the closing of the European Conference of Support for the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO).
These diplomatic archives thus reveal the raw reality of the Sahara conflict: a shadow war where North Africa and Latin America intersect, and where the strength of alliances is as much forged in the secrecy of embassy lounges as on the ground of tribal rivalries.
