Internal rifts and external losses force Polisario to defer major congress

The Polisario Front has postponed its 17th congress for a full year, a decision framed by leadership as a response to “serious challenges” but read by observers as a sign of fragility within the movement.

 The announcement came after an extraordinary session led by Brahim Ghali, who is seeking to extend his tenure at the helm.

Former Polisario official Mustapha Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud told Hespress the move reflects a pattern: congresses are extended not to debate urgent matters but to secure the leadership’s grip on the camps. He argued the delay sends two messages,  that “everything is under control” to its followers, and that the group remains unmoved by upcoming U.N. Security Council deliberations.

Analyst Abdel Fattah Fatihi said the postponement underscores internal debate as international recognition grows for Morocco’s autonomy plan, leaving Polisario weakened externally and facing deepening discontent in the Tindouf camps.