Polisario calls for mobilisation after MINURSO departure
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on RFI and Yabiladi
The Polisario Front calls on Sahrawis to mobilise generally against Morocco as MINURSO leaves the Sahara after its mandate was not renewed. For political scientist Khadija Mohsen-Finan, cited by RFI, the rupture opens a period of direct confrontation between the two belligerents and a diplomatic deadlock.
The decision for general mobilisation was taken at an emergency meeting led by Brahim Ghali, ten days after MINURSO’s mandate expired. The Polisario leader called on Sahrawis to prepare and remain united, citing new Moroccan military movements that reportedly accelerated the decision, Yabiladi reports.
On 30 October, Russia vetoed a US draft resolution seeking to renew the UN mission. The text also supported Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, which Moscow, the Polisario and Algeria accuse of undermining the Sahrawis' right to self-determination.
Brahim Ghali also called on the peoples of the region to oppose what he described as a threat to their security and stability. The standoff between Moscow and Washington over extending the mission is being discussed by UN General Assembly member states.
