Polisario leader attacks EU, Spain over Sahara stance

The leader of the Polisario Front accused the European Union and Spain of failing to honor what he called their legal obligations on the Sahara, as diplomatic momentum continues to shift in Morocco’s favor.

Speaking during a meeting of the group’s leadership body, Brahim Ghali criticized Brussels for what he described as attempts to bypass rulings by the EU’s top court, particularly regarding trade agreements involving Morocco’s southern provinces.

He said European institutions were pursuing economic arrangements that ignored what he called the legal status of the territory.
Ghali also sharply criticized Spain for endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most credible framework to resolve the decades-old dispute.

He urged Madrid to assume what he described as its historical responsibility, accusing the Spanish government of abandoning its former posture on the conflict.

His remarks come as Spain deepens political alignment with Rabat, a shift that has reshaped regional dynamics and strained Madrid’s ties with Algeria. The change also undermines Polisario’s longstanding strategy of relying on Spanish support as a diplomatic pillar.

Political analyst Abdel Fattah Belamchi said the statements were aimed more at internal audiences than at international decision-makers. He said Ghali’s rhetoric was an attempt to preserve cohesion within the movement as international backing for Morocco’s autonomy proposal continues to grow.

Belamchi added that Spain now treats the issue from a framework that reinforces Morocco’s position, minimizing the practical impact of Polisario’s criticism.

Mohamed Ghith Maa El Ainin, described Ghali’s remarks as evidence of denial, arguing that the group’s leadership has failed to adjust to evolving diplomatic realities, especially after the latest U.N. Security Council resolution stressing realism and compromise.

He said Polisario faces increasing isolation and warned that the issue could further escalate if discussions in Washington advance toward listing the group as a terrorist organization. According to him, the only viable path forward remains negotiations within Morocco’s autonomy plan, which he said enjoys growing international support.