Chahid Elhafed (Sahrawi Republic) 08 July 2025 (SPS)- Adala-UK and The Panafrikanist websites published an article Today signed by Sahrawi diplomat Ambassador Malainin Lakhal, in which he responds to an opinion piece by a certain Robert Clark, published last week in the British newspaper “The Telegraph”. In his response, Ambassador Lakhal refutes Clark’s claims labeling the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization.
Following is the full text of the Article of Amb. Malainin Lakhal:
In Defense of the truth about the Polisario Front
By: Malainin Lakhal
On July 1st, The Telegraph published an opinion piece by a certain Robert Clark, who claims to be a researcher in international affairs, under the melodramatic title: “Iran Has Just Reached Another Stage in Its Terrifying War on the West.” This op-ed serves as a textbook example of politically motivated media disinformation, likely sponsored and paid for. Beyond the inflammatory headline exploiting Western positions regarding Iran, the author shockingly targeted the Polisario Front, a legitimate national liberation movement recognized internationally, labeling it a terrorist organization. At the same time, he attempts to whitewash Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara, ignoring its ongoing and systematic violations of international law, international humanitarian law, and human rights.
Naturally, Mr. Clark’s claims are baseless fabrications, disconnected speculations, unsupported allegations, and repetitive Moroccan propaganda talking points that we all recognize. Despite the article's weak content, it remains our duty to respond to such paid-for lies, to clarify the facts for public opinion, to set the record straight, and to arm readers with verifiable knowledge, recalling the readers that this media manipulation and propaganda is part of a broader effort by Morocco and its allies and lobbies to distort the legitimate struggle of the Sahrawi people for freedom and independence, and to defame their vanguard liberation movement—the Polisario Front—in Western media. Therefore, it is important to underline the following fundamental facts:
1. The Polisario Front has never been and is not a terrorist organization.
Polisario is recognized by the United Nations and internationally as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. Since its founding on May 10, 1973, to combat Spanish colonial forces, and later to continue this liberation struggle against Morocco which was supported by the old colonial powers including France, Spain, Israel, and some Gulf countries, the Polisario Front’s struggle has remained a clean and noble national liberation war against the Moroccan military targets and army to this date.
The UN reaffirmed Polisario status in numerous General Assembly resolutions, notably Resolutions 34/37 (1979) and 35/19 (1980). The African Union also recognizes the Polisario as a national liberation movement and recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), proclaimed by the Polisario on February 27, 1976. The SADR was formally admitted to the Organization of African Unity in 1982 and attended its first summit as a full member in 1984, the same year Morocco withdrew from the organization, remaining the only African state outside the continental union until 2017, when it had to rejoin and sit as equal beside the very republic it claims does not exist.
The Polisario Front’s primary goal is to uphold the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination and independence, using all legitimate means in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (1960) and other relevant UN resolutions calling for the decolonization of Western Sahara since 1964. Accordingly, the UN recognizes the Polisario as a party to the conflict and the representative of the Sahrawi people, while considering Morocco a military occupying force with no sovereignty over the territory.
Mr. Clark’s description of the Polisario as a terrorist organization undermines decades of diplomatic engagement by his own country and the international system with the conflict and its parties. This false claim also severely damages the ongoing efforts of successive U.S. and U.K. governments, whether positive or negative, in the UN Security Council’s attempts to find a resolution. Notably, the United States has appointed at least three diplomats and a former Secretary of State as UN mediators to Western Sahara: James Baker, Frank Ruddy, Christopher Ross, and John Bolton, among others. These and other countries have maintained continuous engagement with Polisario leadership and its negotiation delegations for decades.
If the Polisario were truly a terrorist organization, why would these governments consistently engage with its representatives and recognize their political representation of the Sahrawi people? Would they support a UN-led peace process with such an organization playing a central role? Or further, If the Polisario were truly a terrorist organization, why would the United Nations and its bodies continue to host its Permanent Representative, and accept him as the Sahrawi coordinator with MINURSO?
Thus, Mr. Clark’s stance is not only historically and diplomatically incoherent, it is politically reckless, ignoring the facts on the ground and misrepresenting a conflict that demands responsible leadership and accurate understanding, not inflammatory rhetoric rooted in falsehoods and aggressor’s propaganda.
2. Western Sahara is not Moroccan—It is a colonized territory pending decolonization
Western Sahara is a distinct territory, not part of Morocco. The International Court of Justice, in its 1975 advisory opinion at the request of the UN General Assembly, concluded clearly that there were no legal or sovereign ties between Morocco and Western Sahara that would justify Moroccan territorial claims. Simply put, Morocco has no legal or sovereign rights over Western Sahara. It is an occupying force, and its presence cannot override the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination as affirmed by Resolution 1514 on the granting of independence to colonized peoples.
The UN does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, which remains on the UN list of non-self-governing territories pending decolonization. For this reason, the UN Fourth Committee continues to address the issue annually.
Morocco’s presence is an aggressive expansion and unlawful military occupation. The Polisario Front is the legitimate liberation movement resisting this occupation, legally and morally supported by international law, by global actors, and by the unwavering support of the Sahrawi people striving to realize their goal of liberating their land and people from colonialism and its consequences.
3. False allegations of Iranian support and terrorism are senseless Propaganda talking points
Mr. Clark’s claims linking the Polisario to Iran or Hezbollah are entirely fictional and unsupported by any credible evidence. No international intelligence agency, state, or UN body has ever validated or even suspected any operational relationship or coordination between Iran and the Polisario.
We will not go deeper into the Polisario’s or the Sahrawi Republic’s sovereign right to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, as almost every country in the world already maintains such relations. Historically, Iran recognized the SADR in the 1980s and had diplomatic ties for a time. However, these relations were frozen long ago and have remained inactive ever since, by Iran’s own sovereign decision.
Mr. Clark’s repetition of this familiar Moroccan narrative, seeking to link the Polisario to terrorism, especially amid growing international sympathy for the Sahrawi cause, is a blatant distortion of reality. Morocco habitually exploits any global political development or conflict involving “non-friendly” states to link them to the Polisario in an attempt to sway Western sentiment against the Sahrawi leadership. In the past, Morocco has tried to associate the Polisario with Al-Qaeda, ISIS, communism to name only these examples, none of which have stood up to scrutiny.
It is laughable that Mr. Clark expects readers to believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran, an ideologically conservative regime, would support a movement he himself absurdly describes as “Marxist.” This contradiction alone renders his narrative illogical and nonsensical. In short, Clark offers no evidence, only a collection of absurd, incoherent claims that reveal his disregard for truth or logic. Apparently, he hopes readers won’t notice the gaping holes in his story.
4. Misrepresentation of the ceasefire and Morocco’s legal status as occupier
The article falsely claims that Morocco has “administered” Western Sahara since the 1991 UN-brokered ceasefire. This is utterly inaccurate. Western Sahara remains the only non-self-governing territory on the UN decolonization list without a recognized administering power. This is no bureaucratic oversight but a legal fact: the UN has never recognized Morocco as the administering power of the region.
Spain’s unilateral withdrawal from Western Sahara in 1976 did not absolve it of legal responsibility over the territory, nor did it grant Morocco any sovereignty or administering rights. As UN legal advisor Hans Corell stated in his 2002 opinion, Spain had no sovereignty to transfer to Morocco. Hence, under international law, Morocco is but an occupying power engaged in an illegal military presence in another distinct territory.
As for the ceasefire, it was Morocco that unilaterally violated it in November 2020 by launching a military operation against unarmed Sahrawi civilians in the demilitarized buffer zone of Guerguerat. This breach provoked a military response from the Polisario, effectively resuming armed conflict, a fact acknowledged in successive UN Secretary General’s reports and by numerous international observers.
Portraying Morocco as a victim distorts reality and unfairly ignores its status as the aggressor with a long record of repression against Sahrawi civilians and human rights defenders. Any honest analysis of this conflict must begin with these fundamental truths, not attempt to obscure them, as Mr. Clark shamelessly does.
5. Morocco’s Autonomy Plan is not a solution, it Is a colonial imposition
Mr. Clark praises the so-called “Moroccan Autonomy Plan,” which blatantly violates the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination by proposing autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty—a sovereignty that Morocco does not legally hold over Western Sahara. It is important to emphasize that the United Nations has never endorsed this plan as the sole solution. Genuine self-determination requires presenting the Sahrawi people with a range of options, including the possibility of full independence. The UN continues to advocate for a mutually agreed political solution that upholds the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination. Any attempt to impose Moroccan autonomy is not only legally unfounded and politically unrealistic, but also incapable of delivering a fair, just, or lasting resolution.
Conclusion: Stand with justice and Law, not propaganda and deception
This and other Morocco-sponsored articles disregard the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international decolonization efforts. Instead, they vilify a legitimate liberation movement without presenting credible evidence for their fabricated accusations. Rather than providing a balanced perspective, Mr. Clark’s article defends Moroccan occupation and expansionism while seeking to manipulate Western opinion against the Polisario.
The real threat to global security is not the Sahrawi people’s long-overdue demand for a referendum and a fair resolution in a colonized territory, but rather the dangerous precedent of legitimizing military occupation under the guise of stability, strategic partnership, or false economic interests.
Calling for the banning of a national liberation movement like the Polisario, based on groundless allegations and colonial-era reasoning, is not only irresponsible, but morally indefensible. Such a position would betray the UK’s stated commitment to international law and human rights, effectively making it complicit in the continued denial of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
If the UK truly supports the rule of law, it must back a UN-led referendum in Western Sahara, denounce Morocco’s ongoing violations of international law and humanitarian law, oppose the plundering of Sahrawi resources, and reject false labeling of the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. Justice, legality, and international legitimacy, not propaganda, should guide Britain’s foreign policy.
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