It is now more than three decades that Tindouf camps, where the guerilla movement of the Polisario Front is sheltered, have been set up, following a major political conflict between Morocco and Algeria about the future of the Maghreb. In fact, beyond the versions conveyed by the propaganda bureau of the Polisraio Front, it is useful to recall the orientations of this movement and to remember that it concerns an entity inspired by the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary doctrine, still in vogue in the early 70s, but henceforth almost non existing everywhere. There remains only two movements in the world resulting from this “revolutionary” matrix, the Colombian FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), sadly known for their practices of personalities’ kidnapping, and the Polisario Front, sheltered by the Algerian regime which gives it refuge and provides it with the logistical support. Today, this situation has become inacceptable, as behind the slogans, “liberty” odes, is it useful to remind that the Polisraio front has imprisoned, for over 25 years, Moroccan citizens, and did not return them back to their homeland only after a very important pressure from the international community?. The latter, which has shown some severity, is today called by the humanitarian organizations to put an end to the quasi-incarcerating situation of the people living in Tindouf camps.

The declaration of the European deputy, on the International Day of Refugees, the Austrian Mrs. Karin Scheele is quite surprising. She has called the international community to make every effort for the return of some 180 000 Sahrawis (only that!) from Tindouf camps to the Western Sahara, a territory which, according to her, still has to be decolonized! This media release, relayed by the Austrian Press Agency and by the Algerian daily Al Moujahid, clearly indicates that the Minister native of Baden is out of touch with the real world. She ignores the background of the issue, the positive evolution of the Saharan conflict since the cease-of-fire up to the last UN resolution and the Moroccan initiative of a wide internal autonomy plan for the Western Saharan people under the Moroccan sovereignty, as well as the positive position of the major powers vis-à-vis the quality of the Moroccan project of internal autonomy for the Sahrawi territory.
Moreover, this generous position, even if inaccurate, reflects in no way the position of the Austrian government of Mr. Werner Fayman. The fact that Austria is currently a non-permanent member in the Security Council does in no way lessen the issue. On the contrary, this UN presence will incite to make proof of vigilance, moderation and perspicacity.
Morocco has surpassed since many years the Minister and other enemies of Truth and Justice by calling the Sahrawis to join the country, according to the principle stated by the King Hassan II, “Homeland is merciful and forgiving”, a call heard by the Sahrawi populations, demonstrated by a massive flow of allies, including leaders known on the international scene and senior political and military executives. Some among them have official functions within the Moroccan state bodies. As for the number announced, it is purely doubtful and no national or UN data confirm it.

Nomads’ movement, regularly made in the Sahara by tribes and ethnic groups, has undergone a significant change in the wake of the events occurring after the territory independence. The departure of Spain, the colonial power, after agreement with Morocco, the guerilla trigger by the Polisario Front elements with the political and military support of Algeria and Libya and the passive complicity of some elements of the Spanish army have destabilized all the pastoral society in the Western Sahara. Scattered or withdrawn camps have fled in panic the deserted spaces where they found their existence and identity sources and have become the miserable refugees while an important part of the population, if not the majority, have remained there. They settled there and have benefited from the advantages offered by the economic and social development of the government of Rabat.
To better define the Sahrawis’ movement phenomenon in their wide space, we have to go a little back. They are nomad populations in continuous movement faced with the natural calamities and with the military confrontations dangers. In 1960, the Rguibats lgouacem have been settled in Tindouf and its region due to drought which was rampant in Sahara. This massive exodus has been considered as the beginning of the population’s future adoption of a sedentary lifestyle whereas it was indeed only a temporary fixation motivated by the constraints of the moment. Early 1958, the violent and bloody French-Spanish repression (swab operation) in Saquiat Al Hamra region has caused a massive and painful exodus of the refugees who have fled fights zones. They have been grouped around Guelmim South of Morocco, there again it was only a voluntary and temporary movement.