Algerian authorities have reportedly transferred the entire archive of the Polisario Front from the Tindouf camps to a military barracks on the outskirts of Algiers, according to Moroccan daily Bayane Al Yaoum and other regional outlets.
The alleged transfer, executed by Algerian military and civilian aircraft, came days after the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, which renewed MINURSO’s mandate and reaffirmed the Moroccan autonomy plan as the only framework for resolving the Sahara dispute.
Neither Algerian state media nor officials have confirmed the transfer, but the reports coincide with claims of heightened security and unrest in Tindouf following the UN decision.
The Forum for Supporters of Autonomy in Tindouf Camps (FORSATIN) released videos showing Polisario forces enforcing curfews and dispersing gatherings that appeared to celebrate the UN resolution.
The archive, stored for decades in Tindouf, is believed to contain diplomatic correspondence, donor and refugee registries linked to UNHCR and EU humanitarian partners, as well as internal records of Polisario’s military and administrative structures.
Such material forms the core of the movement’s institutional memory and legitimizing evidence in dealings with international agencies.
Observers note that centralizing these records in Algiers would bring them under direct control of Algerian authorities, reducing the Polisario’s operational autonomy and potentially limiting UN or NGO access to documentation used for refugee aid verification.
The timing suggests an effort by Algiers to secure sensitive data following the Security Council’s latest endorsement of Morocco’s proposal, hailed worldwide as a diplomatic milestone.
FORSATIN, which monitors conditions in the camps, reported “chaos and confusion” among residents after the resolution’s adoption on Oct. 31.
The group said Polisario’s internal security units imposed a total curfew and banned traditional gatherings out of concern that they might turn into expressions of solidarity with Morocco.
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2797 with 11 votes in favor, calling on the parties to pursue a solution under Morocco’s 2007 autonomy initiative.
Algeria, which hosts the Polisario leadership has not issued any statement regarding the reported transfer.
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