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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Polisario Front: 50 Years of Struggles and Victories</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Sergio Rodriguez-Gelfenstein - May 22, 2023<br></div>
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<p><img src="https://i0.wp.com/orinocotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/dd2-1.jpg?fit=800%2C426&ssl=1" alt="Polisario Front coat of arms. Photo: United World." class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 0px;" width="456" height="243"> </p>
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Polisario Front coat of arms. Photo: United World. </p>
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<p>By Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein – May 17, 2023</p>
<p>May 10, marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Popular
Front for the Liberation of Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario),
the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people in their struggle
for self-determination. Likewise, this coming May 20 people will
commemorate half a century since the beginning of the armed struggle
against the Spanish colonial power.</p>
<p>The Polisario Front, founded in 1973 by El Uali Mustafa Sayed along
with other young Saharawis, gave continuity to the struggles undertaken
since the 1960s by the Movement for the Liberation of the Sahara, led by
Mohamed Sidi Brahim Basir. Its objective – from the first moment of its
existence – has been to win the independence of Western Sahara.</p>
<p>The Polisario Front’s half-century of struggle has allowed it to
consolidate national unity and build the Saharawi identity. Despite all
the successes however, the Saharawi people have not yet been able to
gain total and absolute independence.</p>
<p>The creation of the Polisario Front took place in the context of the
struggle for independence of the African peoples against colonialism and
imperialism. Similarly, this event is closely linked to the great
social and political conquests achieved by the struggle of the workers,
women and youth in various regions of the planet. Since then, their
struggle has been inscribed in the history of anti-colonial and
pro-democracy battles.</p>
<p><strong>Western Sahara, the Spanish state, and Morocco<br>
</strong>At the beginning of 1973, there had been many meetings between
groups campaigning for the independence of Western Sahara. In the first
months of that year, these associations moved towards agreements of
greater understanding and coordination of actions against colonialism.</p>
<p>At the end of April, a conference was held irregularly and in
different places in the desert to divert the Spanish intelligence
service. In these sessions, the participants decided to create a
political-military organization to fight for independence. As a result,
the Polisario Front was born on May 10, 1973, in Zuerat (Mauritania).</p>
<p>Ten days later, the Polisario Front attacked the police post of El
Janga, starting the anti-colonial liberation war that was expanding the
magnitude and geographical space of its actions, causing more and more
casualties to the Spanish army. Meanwhile, the prestige of the Polisario
Front and its liberation army grew in the mind and spirit of the
Saharawi people who also began to receive international support,
especially from Algeria and Libya.</p>
<p>The strong armed blows suffered by the Spanish occupation army
demonstrated the justice of the armed struggle being waged. Under these
conditions, the enraged Francoist dictatorship began to look for an
“honorable way out” of the situation that had been created. To that
extent, – with the attitude typical of colonial powers – Francoist Spain
set about the task of creating an “independent” autochthonous
government that would function under Madrid’s control.</p>
<p>On Aug. 20, 1974, the Spanish government sent a note to the United
Nations Secretary General announcing its intention to hold a referendum
on self-determination in Western Sahara during the first half of 1975.
At the same time it promoted the formation of a political party loyal to
Madrid’s interests called the “Saharawi National Union Party” (PUNS).</p>
<p>During 1975, the Saharawi Liberation Army was strengthened through
the incorporation of several military units that increased its firepower
and maneuvering capacity to the point of undertaking large-scale
operations. For example, it could seize control of Spanish military
posts while striking the occupier’s troops and rearguard.</p>
<p>After two and a half years of war, the Polisario Front crowned its
political-military efforts by holding, on Oct. 12, 1975, the Convention
for National Unity, in the locality of Ain Ben Tili. But by then, Spain
had reached a secret agreement with Morocco for the surrender of the
Saharawi territory in what is considered one of the greatest betrayals
in colonial history [by turning control over to Morocco].</p>
<p>Faced with this situation, the Polisario Front convened a large
assembly attended by personalities from all the political forces in
favor of independence: representatives of various sectors and members of
the Djema’a, which is the main body of a tribe and is composed of
elders and elected leaders. In this framework and under the leadership
of El Uali Mustafa Sayed, they proclaimed the union of the people around
the program and structures of the Polisario Front with the aim of
achieving independence and defending the territorial integrity of
Western Sahara.</p>
<p><strong>A united and inclusive society<br>
</strong>The long struggle of resistance of the Polisario Front against
the Moroccan occupation has made it possible to lay the foundations for
the construction of a society and a State which are projected into the
future on the basis of ideas which gather the best of the human
condition and the fundamental principles of coexistence in the world.</p>
<p>In these years, the Polisario Front has been able to build a united
and inclusive Saharawi society. To this end, it brings together all the
progressive sectors and personalities of Saharawi society wherever they
are: in exile, in the liberated regions or those under Moroccan
occupation.</p>
<p>After 50 years since its creation, the Polisario Front has renewed
its commitment to those who have fallen in dozens of years of struggle
against colonialism and Moroccan expansionism. Its objectives have
always been, in addition to independence, the construction of a modern
state in the context of a North African regional integration.</p>
<p>At the international level, the Polisario Front defends the creation
of a Palestinian state, the unity of the Arab world and the elimination
of all forms of colonialism in Africa.</p>
<p>(<a href="https://uwidata.com/30042-polisario-front-50-years-of-struggles-and-victories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United World</a>)</p>
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Sergio Rodriguez-Gelfenstein </span>
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<p>Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein, a Venezuelan international
relations expert, Gelfenstein was previously Director of the
International Relations of the Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela, his country’s ambassador to Nicaragua and an advisor for
international politics for TELESUR. He has written numerous books, among
them “China in the XXI Century – the awakening of a giant,” published
in several Latin American countries.</p>
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