Horizons Geopolitical Institute April 26, 2025
Armed violence between criminal groups has erupted in the El Ayoun camp in Tindouf, highlighting the serious security issues affecting Sahrawi refugee camps, according to media outlet Forsatin.
In a climate of terror, heavily armed traffickers transformed the camp into a war zone for several hours. Exchanges of live ammunition forced residents to barricade themselves in their homes, without protection from camp authorities.
« The total absence of Polisario security forces during these events is particularly concerning, » notes a regional analyst cited by Forsatin. The Algerian army, despite being stationed in immediate proximity, did not intervene.
Polisario elements only arrived at the scene after the clashes, raising questions about their effectiveness and motivations. According to local sources relayed by Forsatin, some Polisario members allegedly maintain ties with these criminal networks.
Defections within Polisario
This security deterioration coincides with new defections from Polisario ranks. On April 24, 2025, three armed elements of the Front surrendered to the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (FAR) in the Oum Dreiga area, Aousserd province in the Sahara.
These fighters, currently being questioned by Moroccan military personnel, chose to defect in a context where Polisario incursion attempts are regularly thwarted by the FAR.
A Movement Weakened on Multiple Fronts
These simultaneous events – internal violence in the camps and fighter defections – illustrate the Polisario’s growing fragility. Since the resumption of hostilities in November 2020, the separatist movement has struggled to maintain its cohesion and effective control over camp populations.
Camp notables have expressed anger at the situation, accusing Polisario leaders of deliberately allowing security to deteriorate to divert residents’ attention from deeper political problems.
The Forum for Support of Tindouf Autonomists, which favors the Moroccan autonomy solution, interprets these developments as a sign of the progressive disintegration of the separatist movement, while Morocco continues to strengthen its diplomatic positions on the international stage.
