In a sign of escalating desperation amid political and military stagnation, the separatist Polisario Front, through its leader Brahim Ghali, has been accused of attempting to incite unrest within Morocco.
This comes as the group struggles with declining legitimacy in the Tindouf camps and waning international support for its separatist agenda concerning the Sahara.
During a recent speech at a regular session of the Polisario’s executive body, Ghali praised what he called the “struggles of the Independence Intifada” in so-called “occupied territories,” extending his rhetoric to southern Moroccan provinces and university campuses.
Analysts argue that this language aims to provoke tension beyond the conflict zone defined by the United Nations.
According to experts on the Moroccan Sahara issue, this strategy appears tied to a broader regional agenda, namely, an Algerian-backed attempt to destabilize Morocco internally.
The approach allegedly involves infiltrating Moroccan universities and inciting students under the guise of political activism, in an effort to propagate the Polisario’s separatist narrative.
“An Implicit Admission”
Mohamed El Ghait Ma El Aynain, Deputy Director of the Moroccan Center for Parallel Diplomacy and Intercultural Dialogue, explained that Ghali’s reference to student movements and regions such as Drâa and Guelmim-Oued Noun suggests an intentional extension of separatist rhetoric beyond the traditional territorial dispute.
“This is an implicit admission that the regions of Laâyoune and Dakhla are inseparable from the rest of Morocco in terms of identity, demographics, and history,” Ma El Aynain said.
He noted that the contradiction in Ghali’s statements mirrors the position taken previously by former Polisario leader Mohamed Abdelaziz. “Despite their rhetoric of ‘liberation,’ the Polisario cannot imagine a framework outside the Moroccan national context, not geographically, historically, or symbolically,” he added.
Ma El Aynain emphasized that the group’s origins are rooted in Morocco, having emerged from events in Tan-Tan, only to be co-opted by Algeria and weaponized for regional political purposes.
This structural contradiction, he argues, undermines the movement’s credibility and exposes its separatist agenda as a tool for foreign geopolitical interests rather than a legitimate popular cause.
Student Front or Trojan Horse?
Shadi Abdeslam Al-Buraq, an international expert in crisis management and conflict analysis, referred to the so-called “Sahrawi students” active in Moroccan universities as an “organizational extension” of Polisario militias. According to Al-Buraq, the group operates under the directives of key political figures within the Tindouf camps, with Algerian intelligence allegedly overseeing their activities.
Al-Buraq claimed that these students, particularly those at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, have participated in training sessions in Boumerdes, Algeria, where they receive instruction in street warfare tactics, espionage, and other forms of disruption.
These students, he warned, act as a “Trojan horse” within Morocco, executing destabilizing activities while enjoying state-sponsored benefits such as free transportation, housing, meals, and full scholarships.
Despite these privileges, Al-Buraq said, “they abuse the tolerant environment of Moroccan universities and the legacy of the National Union of Moroccan Students to push a foreign separatist agenda.”
He added that Moroccan authorities have documented efforts by these groups to manipulate the academic environment, including threats to disrupt exams and coercive pressure to admit unqualified students.
The expert concluded that the evidence points to a systematic attempt by Algerian intelligence services to weaponize Moroccan campuses through these proxies.
This tactic reflects a shift from failed military and diplomatic maneuvers to more covert infiltration strategies, using young students as instruments in a broader regional conflict.
Broader Implications
The findings raise pressing questions about national security and academic freedom, as well as Morocco’s policy of inclusivity toward students from the southern provinces. Observers have called for increased vigilance in universities to prevent the exploitation of democratic spaces for subversive ends.
As Morocco continues to assert its sovereignty over the Sahara through international partnerships and development initiatives, experts warn that internal destabilization efforts, particularly those leveraging student activism, will likely remain a key front in the ongoing geopolitical contest.
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