The Polisario Front has carried out multiple abductions this week, targeting individuals with ties to opposition factions or exiled figures, as well as those who have openly criticized the leadership. These actions unfold against a backdrop of internal strife, conflicts, and demonstrations within the Polisario Front.
On Monday, April 22nd, armed factions affiliated with the separatist group seized Boukhari Ibrahim Salem, a member of the Sahrawis for Peace movement. This move is widely interpreted as retribution for the group’s outspoken criticisms of the Polisario Front’s activities within the Tindouf camps.
Eyewitnesses recounted that Polisario militants apprehended Salem near the ‘Boujdour Camp’ and subsequently transported him to an undisclosed location. Despite exhaustive efforts, his family has been unable to ascertain his whereabouts.
Additionally, Haj Ahmed Barkala, the first secretary of the Sahrawis for Peace movement, conveyed via a post on a social media platform (formerly known as Twitter) that a climate of oppression and political vendettas pervades the Tindouf camps.
This week also saw the arrest of Salem’s nephew, Boukhari Salem, by Polisario members, who likewise transferred him to an undisclosed destination. Notably, last year, they assaulted his niece in the Dakhla camp.
These incidents are not isolated but rather part of a broader pattern of aggression perpetrated by the armed organization against members of the Sahrawi movement’s leadership and their kin, particularly dissenting voices. Such actions are perceived as reprisals for exposing the exploitation prevalent in Tindouf.
Moreover, these developments coincide with the Sahrawis for Peace movement’s condemnation of heightened repression in Tindouf last week. The movement has urged Human Rights Watch to intervene and safeguard human rights within the camps, where the Polisario Front is accused of perpetrating torture and other egregious violations of human rights.
