A Republican congressman has joined a US House bill seeking sanctions against the Polisario Front, adding fresh momentum to legislation that targets the Sahara independence movement and sharpens political pressure around a decades old territorial dispute involving Morocco.
Representative Lance Gooden of Texas became a cosponsor of the proposal on Dec. 1, according to congressional records, months after the bill was introduced in June and as US lawmakers continue to debate Washington’s posture in North Africa and the Sahel.
The bill titled the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act calls on the US administration to assess whether the group meets the legal criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization and for sanctions under US counterterrorism and human rights laws.
It was introduced by Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina alongside Democratic co sponsor Jimmy Panetta of California and has since attracted backing from lawmakers across party lines, including Republicans from Florida and Indiana.
If passed, the legislation would require the US secretary of state and the treasury secretary to submit formal determinations to Congress on the Polisario Front’s leadership, foreign links, military activity and alleged ties to armed groups and state sponsors designated by Washington.
Under US law, terrorist designation and financial sanctions remain executive branch decisions, with Congress acting as a trigger for mandatory review rather than enforcement.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has not yet scheduled hearings or votes on the bill.
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