A new American report has shed light on the growing threats posed by the Algeria-backed separatist Polisario Front, urging Washington to take decisive action by designating the group as a global terrorist organization. The report argues that decades of leniency towards the movement have come at a cost — including to U.S. citizens.
Published by The Daily Signal, the report recalls a 1988 incident in which Polisario-fired missiles downed two aircraft operated by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), killing five Americans. At the time, no punitive action was taken by the United States, a move the report describes as a missed opportunity to deter further aggression.
According to the report, the Polisario Front now poses an escalating threat due to its use of Iranian-made drones and its cooperation with smuggling networks tied to jihadist groups operating in the Sahel region. This growing danger, it warns, is unfolding within missile range of the Strait of Gibraltar — one of the world's most vital maritime passages.
The report also highlights the substantial support the group receives from Algeria, which provides it with a safe haven in the Tindouf camps. These camps host the Polisario's leadership and armed units, operating far from the oversight of Moroccan forces or the international community. This allows the group to stockpile weapons and coordinate with external backers.
The number of active Polisario fighters is estimated at 8,000, but the group reportedly has the capacity to rapidly mobilize up to 40,000 — a potential asset for terrorist organizations, especially given its deep links to smuggling networks and extremist financing in the region.
The report underscores Iran’s expanding role in supporting the Polisario, noting that Tehran — through its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah — has previously trained Polisario fighters in Tindouf. The group has also published images of ammunition identified as Iranian in origin. Media reports have linked similar munitions to deadly attacks in the Moroccan city of Smara in 2023.
Encrypted communications cited in the report allegedly show Polisario officials in contact with Hezbollah-linked figures, discussing future coordination once financial and technical support was secured — a troubling indicator of growing ties between the Polisario and the Iranian axis.
The report further warns of increasing Russian engagement with the Polisario, including Moscow-backed events and meetings with Russian-aligned separatist figures. It also notes that Wagner Group convoys in Mali and Niger are now reportedly using the same smuggling routes controlled by the Polisario.
It highlights how the group’s illicit economy — based on trafficking cannabis, cocaine, and arms — directly funds networks affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), citing both intelligence reports and field studies conducted in recent years.
The report draws a direct line between these activities and the rise of dangerous figures such as Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, a former Polisario member who later founded the Islamic State’s branch in the Greater Sahara. Al-Sahrawi orchestrated deadly attacks in Mali and Niger before being killed in 2021.
The report also notes the Polisario's increasingly aggressive rhetoric. In a 2021 statement, the group threatened foreign companies operating in Western Sahara with “fire and war.” This was followed by a more recent threat in April 2025 targeting foreign investors and tourists — whom the group described as “non-civilians” — marking a dangerous escalation in both tone and intent.
The report concludes with a stark warning: continued U.S. inaction could come at a steep price. It calls on Washington to add the Polisario Front to the terrorism list under Executive Order 13224, which would allow the U.S. to freeze the group’s assets and impose stringent sanctions — before the threat becomes unmanageable.
