Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, commander and head of the First Reserve Brigade of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and a member of the Polisario Front’s National Secretariat, died on Sunday, June 7, 2026, along with two fellow soldiers. The announcement was made by the Sahara Press Service (SPS), the Polisario Front’s official news agency.
According to the Sahrawi Ministry of Defense, the 37-year-old officer was killed during clashes with Moroccan forces near the Moroccan defense system, which the Polisario refers to as the “Wall of Shame.”
However, an alternative account has been put forward by a witness whose identity has not been disclosed for security reasons.
According to this witness, Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz was killed by Polisario members loyal to Brahim Ghali, with the involvement of agents from the Algerian security services.
The same source further claims that the Sahrawi official had planned to meet on June 7, 2026, with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, who was visiting the Tindouf camps in Algeria as part of his regional tour.
The witness alleges that Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz intended to express his support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco for Western Sahara.
According to the same individual behind these allegations, his identity will only be disclosed as part of an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lehbib Mohamed Abdelaziz.
For security reasons, he states that arrangements have been made for his full testimony and the evidence he claims to possess to be transmitted to the appropriate authorities in Geneva should an investigative procedure be launched. The witness maintains that he is prepared to cooperate with any international commission of inquiry or any mechanism mandated to establish the facts of the case.
Several American voices have called for the Polisario Front to be designated as a terrorist organization, arguing that it continues to challenge the United States and the administration of President Donald Trump.