Polisario Front Declares General Mobilisation in Response to Moroccan Military Movements

The preparatory committee for the 17th Congress of the Polisario Front has announced the dates, venue and theme of the upcoming congress. On Wednesday, the committee’s chairman and member of the National Secretariat, Bouchraya Hammoudi Bayoun, announced that the congress would be held from 15 to 20 January 2027 in the Dakhla Wilaya, under the slogan: “Unity, Resilience and Sacrifice to Impose the Sahrawi State.” The congress will be named in honour of the late martyr Abdallah Lahbib Bilal. Bayoun said the congress was being convened at a particularly significant moment, given recent developments surrounding the Western Sahara issue at the United Nations. These developments, he argued, require new mechanisms and measures capable of addressing the challenges of the current phase. He added that the congress would take place amid highly complex national, regional and international circumstances, including what he described as Morocco’s expansionist policy in the region and the threat it poses to security and stability in neighbouring countries. Commenting on the work of the preparatory committee and its subcommittees, Bayoun explained that several specialised committees had been established and assigned organisational responsibilities across a range of fields, including military and security affairs, politics, administration, law, the economy and social affairs. He said these committees had begun their work and prepared reports based on a document assessing the current situation, which serves as the main foundation for preparations for the congress. The reports are now being presented to the preparatory committee for discussion, scrutiny and the development of proposals in the general interest, taking into account the prevailing circumstances. Meanwhile, the Polisario Front’s National Secretariat has declared a general mobilisation in response to what it describes as the Moroccan occupation, calling on the Sahrawi people to prepare for possible developments on the ground and to confront Moroccan military movements along the so-called Wall of Humiliation and Shame. The announcement followed an emergency meeting chaired by the Front’s Secretary-General and President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Brahim Ghali. In a statement, the National Secretariat said developments at the UN Security Council concerning the Western Sahara issue, together with the political, diplomatic and military manoeuvres surrounding them, made it necessary to raise the level of preparedness. It described the situation as requiring vigilance in the face of what it called the occupation’s plots and manoeuvres aimed at undermining the Sahrawi people’s right to freedom, self-determination and independence. Assessing the latest developments in the dispute, the Polisario Front said Russia’s use of its veto had prevented the adoption of a draft resolution that, in its view, sought to legitimise Morocco’s occupation and impose a colonial fait accompli under the cover of an autonomy proposal. The Front expressed its appreciation to Moscow for its position, arguing that the veto had prevented a departure from international legitimacy and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The National Secretariat also warned of the potential consequences of Morocco’s military movements. It explained that Moroccan forces had been deployed in large numbers, equipped with various types of weapons and military equipment, and concentrated at several locations along the military wall. According to the statement, these movements contradict Morocco’s stated commitment to the ceasefire and risk triggering a new escalation on the ground. In response to these developments, the Polisario Front called on all Sahrawis, both men and women, to remain fully prepared and intensify mobilisation in the face of the challenges ahead. It reaffirmed its commitment to defending Sahrawi territory and national rights, as well as its continued adherence to the principles of freedom, self-determination and independence, in honour of the sacrifices made by martyrs who have died for the cause. The Front also urged the peoples of the region to oppose what it described as Moroccan expansionist aggression, warning that its consequences would extend beyond the Sahrawi people to threaten regional security, the stability of neighbouring states and their territorial integrity. In the same context, the National Secretariat called on the United Nations and the African Union to assume their responsibilities and work towards ending Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara. It also urged both organisations to address what it described as Rabat’s obstruction of international efforts to complete the decolonisation of the territory. Concluding its statement, the Polisario Front reiterated its commitment to the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and to restoring sovereignty over the entirety of their national territory. It stressed that political, diplomatic and military developments would not compel it to abandon that right.