Sáhara Occidental: nace un nuevo movimiento político
In the midst of a generalized confinement of the planet, this Wednesday 22 April 2020, a new political formation has been formed in what used to be the Spanish ex-colony of Western Sahara. The Saharawi Movement for Peace has emerged with strength and with a wide representation. New communication technologies, social networks and the organization of virtual meetings have allowed the interconnection between the diaspora in Europe, the exile in Tindouf and the territories of Western Sahara, and have facilitated the decision of the promoters to break the political monopoly and the exclusive representation that the Polisario Front has attributed to itself for almost half a century.
In a statement issued by the new formation, they announce that "a hundred officials, ex-officials, former senior officials of the Polisario and descendants of members of the Assembly of the Sahara during the Spanish period, as well as academics and a good number of human rights activists have decided to promote a new independent political formation".
Among the promoters of the Movement are, in addition to militants and activists for human rights and freedoms and members of numerous civil society associations, an important nucleus of the Saharawi Initiative for Change, which was constituted two years ago within the Polisario to try to change it from inside its ranks, but which has been forced to give in to "the intransigence and arrogance of an old leadership accommodated in authoritarianism and anti-democracy".
The main objective proposed by the new Saharawi political movement is to contribute as much as it can to finding a solution to the conflict in the North West African region, providing a new model of participation and representation in society with the culture of "political diversity and multi-partyism", essential for entering into the development and modernity of the 21st century, according to its promoters.
However, the most important thing about the programme, policy and objectives of the new political party is that it "is committed to the peaceful path and aspires to occupy its rightful place as a new political reference on the Sahara stage". This means a fundamental break with the operational activities of the Polisario, whose main activity has been for 17 years (from 1974 to 1991) the armed struggle, and in the three following decades the persistent threat to take up arms again. It was born during the 70s of the last century, and its structure is made up of an army of guerrilla units, constituted, trained and fed by Algeria, which has bet since the beginning of the conflict on "the armed struggle for national liberation", a sacred doctrine of the time of African decolonization.
The first preventive reaction of the Polisario leadership to the initiative was a few days ago, when one of its emblematic figures and a founding member of the Front, Bachir Mustafa Sayed, threatened to use "all necessary resources" to prevent the demonstrations of criticism, reproach or dissidence among its ranks, as had been suggested. It was precisely among the adherents of the new Movement that many suffered repression and imprisonment in the Tindouf camps after the 1988 popular revolt, during which El Bachir showed his despotic streak.
The Saharawi Movement for Peace, proposes to carry out a political and diplomatic action to the UN and international organizations, as well as to contact governments and parties interested in the conflict in the Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Spain, France and the USA, including also the Polisario Front itself. His offer and proposal for the solution of the conflict is open, plural and inclusive.
The new political force intends to organize its first Congress in no more than two years. During this period a political commission of thirteen members will take over the direction, together with an advisory committee.
