Polisario/AQMI, the frightening duo !

Mercenariat, arm and drug traffics, kidnapping, make of the Polisario an international legend. The elements from the Sahrawi separatist movement contesting the historical sovereignty of Morocco over the Southern provinces, have been pointed out these last time by their involvement in the Libyan conflict and the kidnapping of the European citizens in the Sahel region. With the new communication technologies, their acts can no more be unnoticed. The links more and more proved between the Polisario and the terrorist group of Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI), writes on Tuesday the American newspaper “the Hill”, constitute a threat for the region of the Sahel and the international community. The Kidnapping on the  last 23rd October of the three     European citizens, in Tindouf camps in the Algerian territory, and its claiming by an Aqmi dissident group, constitute the tangible proof of the connection between the Polisario and the Maghrebian terrorist nebulous.

The American publication points out that “some US and European officials are the more and more worried about the collusion between AQMI and other terrorist groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Shabab in Somalia and recently, between Al Qaida in North Africa and the Polisario members”. Time has come for the international community and the United States, writes the writer of the article on the pages of the newspaper “the Hill”, to intensify their support to the reforming countries of the region and to support the models to be followed. The Hill believes that the economic partnership of Deauville with the Arab countries committed in a reform process, constitute “an important beginning”. Apart from the relations between the separatist movement and AQMI, the total black-out imposed on the populations of the Sahrawi refugees settled since more than 35 years in Tindouf camps and the climate of insecurity prevailing there arouse the  anxiety of NGOs and humanitarian associations which voluntary members risk their lives in the region to support and help the refugees. For these NGOs, Tindouf camps and in general the Algerian desert constitute from now on an area of high risk where humanitarians should think twice before going there.