On the eve of the UN Security Council vote on the renewal of MINURSO’s mandate, extreme tension reigns in the Sahrawi camps of Tindouf.
According to several concordant sources within the army and the presidential palace of El Mouradia, the armed militias of the Polisario Front, backed by units of the Algerian army on orders from General Saïd Chengriha and without authorization from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, have surrounded the camps to prevent any protest or attempt by residents to flee the Tindouf area.
In a statement released on Monday, October 27, the Polisario Front issued a categorical message to the international community. The Sahrawi movement rejected any initiative related to the draft resolution supported by the United States, European countries, and several Arab, African, and Latin American states that back Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara.
The Polisario, which claims the creation of an “independent Sahrawi state”, declared that it would refuse to take part in any political process aimed, in its view, at “legitimizing the illegal military occupation of Western Sahara” or at “emptying the principle of self-determination of its substance”.
On the ground, the situation has deteriorated. According to several observers and eyewitnesses, Polisario militias and Algeria’s national gendarmerie have set up roadblocks and increased armed patrols around the camps of Rabouni, Smara, and Aousserd. These operations aim to prevent Sahrawis from protesting against the movement’s leadership or leaving controlled zones.
Several residents of Tindouf province describe an atmosphere of fear, marked by arbitrary arrests and the heavy presence of armed units conducting identity checks, confirming the establishment of a de facto state of siege.
According to local sources, the decision to encircle the camps was made after spontaneous demonstrations broke out demanding greater transparency and denouncing the Polisario’s policies as those of a terrorist entity, as well as condemning the Algerian military regime.
Humanitarian NGOs have been warning for months about the strict control exercised by the Polisario over the population and the severe restrictions on freedom of movement. Growing disillusionment among young people, faced with poverty, isolation, and lack of prospects—is fueling a silent internal rebellion, as seen across Algeria.
As the diplomatic world focuses its attention on New York, the Tindouf camps remain sealed off, with their population effectively held hostage.