Efforts by the United States to Classify the Polisario Front as a “Terrorist Organization” – What’s the Story?

15th April 2025

2 minutes read

Efforts by the United States to Classify the Polisario Front as a "Terrorist Organization" – What’s the Story?

A Republican congressman in the United States has announced that he will introduce a bill to classify the Polisario Front as a “terrorist organization,” accusing Russia and Iran of exploiting the group to establish a foothold in Africa.

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The congressman, Joe Wilson, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, wrote in a tweet on “X” that he would present legislation to classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization.

The congressman linked his bill to the support of the autonomy plan that was proposed to Morocco to resolve the Moroccan Sahara conflict, a plan that Washington reiterated its support for a few days ago, according to the “Al Hurra” network.

He clarified, “I agree with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only practical solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue.”

The Republican congressman’s move comes amid renewed debate about Moroccan Sahara, following confirmation by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the United States “recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Moroccan Sahara.”

During a meeting in Washington on Tuesday with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, Rubio stated that the U.S. “supports Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the conflict.”

Algeria responded to the renewed U.S. position, expressing its “regret” over the U.S. reiterating its support for “Moroccan sovereignty over Moroccan Sahara” and the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat as the only solution to the conflict.

From New York, the Polisario Front’s representative to the United Nations, Sidi Mohamed Amar, stated that the position announced by the U.S. administration “doesn’t change anything at all.”

Moroccan Sahara is a former Spanish colony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and is classified by the United Nations as a “non-self-governing territory,” with Morocco controlling 80 percent of its land.

Morocco first proposed the plan in 2007, and on December 10, 2020, Trump, during his first term, confirmed the U.S. support for Morocco’s proposal regarding Moroccan Sahara, stating that the U.S. recognizes “Moroccan sovereignty over the entire region.”