Morocco’s military dominance leaves Polisario isolated
Despite the killing of a senior commander in a Moroccan strike, the Polisario Front continues to insist it is open to dialogue with Rabat. This contradictory stance reveals the disarray of a movement that is both militarily outclassed and diplomatically isolated.
The death of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, a prominent Sahrawi army commander and son of the movement’s former president, lays bare the harsh reality on the ground. He was struck by a precision weapon while withdrawing during an operation, joining dozens of others killed by drones in recent years. This technological superiority crushes the capabilities of the separatists, who have historically relied on modified Spanish Land Rovers. Facing such a blatant asymmetry, the Polisario delegate in Madrid, Jalil Mohamed Abdelaziz, resignedly speaks of the ‘high price’ paid to defend their dignity.
Despite this deadly vulnerability, the separatist movement projects an ambivalent stance. Abdoullah Arabi, the representative in Spain, says the group ‘is accustomed to dialogue in all possible contexts’, refusing to close the chapter on bilateral contacts. This fluctuating line was evident in April from the Algerian region of Tindouf, where 175,000 people are crowded. There, leader Brahim Ghali toned down the martial rhetoric, assuring that his camp wishes to act as a peaceful partner for its neighbours, including Morocco, while demanding respect for UN decisions.
This tactical split stems directly from growing isolation on the international stage. While the conflict generates little interest due to its low global geostrategic stakes, Rabat has consolidated support from major Western powers such as the United States and France. Spain itself made the leap in 2022 when President Pedro Sánchez described Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most serious basis. Abdoullah Arabi denounced this shift, criticising Madrid’s deafening silence and double standards when the victims are Sahrawi.
Geographically, this confinement is embodied by a fortified sand wall built in the 1980s. This enormous military scar cuts the 250,000 square kilometre region in two, leaving most of the coastal zone under strict Moroccan control. Confined to the remaining 20% of the inland territory, the separatists face an impassable physical barrier. Although activist Aminatou Haidar boasts of unwavering popular determination, intimate knowledge of the desert is no longer enough to counter Morocco’s powerful military machine.
