Three members of the Polisario Front who surrendered to Moroccan forces Thursday say hundreds of fighters in the Tindouf camps are prepared to defect if given the opportunity, according to a report released by the Forum for Supporting Autonomy Advocates in Tindouf Camps (FORSATIN).
The defectors crossed into Moroccan-controlled territory near the Oum Dreyga area, southwest of the berm wall, wearing Polisario military uniforms and raising a white flag to signal peaceful intent before surrendering to the Moroccan Armed Forces.
According to FORSATIN, the three had planned their escape over several months, with only one reportedly informing a family member in advance.
Their successful defection has become the subject of widespread discussion within the Tindouf camps, which are administered by the Polisario with the support of Algerian authorities, FORSATIN reported.
The report states that the defectors are in communication with hundreds of others inside the camps who are also seeking to escape. Many of them, according to the group, are conscripts who remain with the Polisario out of fear of retaliation or concern for their families’ safety.
FORSATIN described the escape as evidence of internal dissatisfaction within the Polisario’s military ranks.
The organization also criticized the Polisario’s ongoing claims of military engagements against Morocco, saying those reports do not reflect the reality on the ground.
The three defectors reportedly traversed vast desert terrain before reaching Moroccan forces.
Their case follows similar incidents in recent years involving former Polisario members abandoning the group and publicly expressing support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative in the Sahara.
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