Polisario attempts involvement in future Morocco-EU trade negotiations

Morocco has dismissed calls by the separatist group Polisario,  to be included in future trade negotiations between the European Union and Morocco, saying the group lacks any legal or political legitimacy.

The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, is leveraging the recent European Court of Justice ruling to claim legitimacy and disrupt EU-Morocco relations. The ruling annulled agricultural and fishing agreements between Morocco and the EU, citing the lack of consent from the population in Morocco’s southern provinces, an area claimed by Polisario.

Omar Mansour, a senior Polisario member based in Brussels, said the group is ready to participate in any future negotiations without preconditions. Mansour called the court ruling an opportunity for the EU to finalize its stance on the territorial dispute.

Moroccan officials, however, have rejected the group’s claims. Mohamed Salem Abdel Fattah, head of the Sahrawi Observatory for Media and Human Rights, asserted the Polisario is a militarized entity that suppresses refugees in Algeria’s Tindouf camps and lacks legitimate representation of the Saharan population.

“Morocco engages with the EU from a position of strength,” Abdel Fattah said, pointing to multidimensional cooperation in security, counterterrorism, and maritime navigation.

Abbas El Ouardi, an international law expert at Mohammed V University in Rabat, said Polisario’s demands are inconsistent with international law and dismissed the group as a tool of Algeria’s geopolitical agenda.

“The EU considers Morocco an advanced partner,” El Ouardi said. “Most member states support Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces.”

The European Commission and the EU’s foreign policy chief recently reaffirmed their commitment to the partnership with Morocco, including agreements that cover the southern provinces.

Despite the ECJ ruling, Morocco’s strategic relationship with the EU remains intact, driven by shared economic, political, and security interests.