Morocco’s Observatory calls on Spain to investigate 1970s Polisario attacks on Spanish, Moroccan sailors

The National Observatory for Strategic Studies has called on the Spanish authorities to launch an urgent parliamentary investigation into the deadly attacks that targeted Spanish and Moroccan civilian sailors along the coasts near the Sahara during the 1970s and 1980s, in which the Polisario Front was involved.

In a letter to the Spanish Prime Minister, the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, and the President of the Congress of Deputies, the Observatory emphasized that these documented assaults resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, including approximately 289 Spaniards who were killed or kidnapped.

It stressed that the attacks involved heavy weaponry and were carried out in a manner that aligns with international definitions of terrorism.

The Observatory criticized the lack of adequate investigations and legal proceedings since these events, noting that this raises questions about equal application of the law and victims’ rights.

It urged Madrid to officially acknowledge the suffering endured by the victims and to reassess its stance toward the Polisario Front in line with anti-terrorism commitments, similar to the position recently adopted by the U.S. Congress.

The National Observatory for Strategic Studies reaffirmed its full readiness to cooperate with Spanish institutions to document the facts and uncover the circumstances of these crimes, emphasizing that delivering justice to the victims is an essential step toward upholding truth and justice.

Earlier this week, the Observatory called on Morocco’s partner and allied states to launch legislative initiatives within their parliaments to classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization.

It urged these countries to adopt legal frameworks that criminalize the group’s activities and cut off its sources of support.