Fifty years ago, on November 6, 1975, Morocco staged the historic Green March, sending 350,000 civilians into the Spanish-controlled territory of the Sahara. The march symbolized Morocco’s claim to its southern provinces and marked a turning point in the region’s political history. For the Sahrawi people, however, the march heralded decades of displacement, military confrontation, and protracted exile, circumstances dominated by the rise of the Polisario Front. Today, this movement, once a liberation organization, is widely accused by governments and analysts of armed aggression, human rights abuses, and destabilizing regional security, particularly in the Sahel.
The Polisario Front, or Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el-Hamra y de Río de Oro, was formally founded in May 1973 by Sahrawi nationalist students, intellectuals, and tribal veterans aiming to achieve Sahrawi self-determination. At the time, the territory was under Spanish colonial administration, one of the last remaining colonial holdings in Africa. Early attacks, such as the 20 May 1973 raid on the Spanish garrison in El Khanga, marked the transition from political advocacy to armed insurgency.
In 1975, as Spain prepared to leave, Morocco orchestrated the Green March, pressuring Spain into the Madrid Accords, which transferred administrative control to Morocco and Mauritania. The Polisario rejected the deal, viewing it as a betrayal of Sahrawi self-determination. It proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976 and established military bases in Algeria, using the border region near Tindouf to launch guerrilla operations against Moroccan and Mauritanian forces. Mauritania eventually withdrew in 1979, leaving Morocco to face Polisario attacks alone.
Over the following decades, the Polisario transitioned from a liberation movement to a militarized entity, engaging in armed raids and sustaining a protracted conflict with Morocco. The construction of the Moroccan defensive berm during the 1980s largely contained Polisario incursions, leading to a fragile stalemate that persists today. In 1991, a UN-brokered ceasefire established MINURSO to monitor the situation and prepare for a referendum on self-determination, a vote that has yet to occur.
The protracted conflict displaced tens of thousands of Sahrawis, who settled in refugee camps in southwestern Algeria near Tindouf. Conditions are extreme, with a desert climate, limited infrastructure, and heavy dependency on international aid. UN and NGO reports indicate that over 80 percent of camp residents rely entirely on humanitarian assistance, with malnutrition and limited access to healthcare persisting as chronic problems. The Polisario has maintained de facto administrative control over the camps, functioning simultaneously as a civil authority and militarized organization. Humanitarian actors report that aid is sometimes politicized, and residents’ freedoms are curtailed, reinforcing the narrative that the camps are not only shelters but also operational centers for military and political activity.
Among the most disturbing allegations are those concerning child soldiers and indoctrination. Multiple investigations, including European Parliament reports and NGO assessments, indicate that the Polisario has recruited minors for military training, propaganda efforts, and ideological indoctrination. A 2020 European Parliament report cited incidents of Sahrawi children being taken to remote areas under false pretenses, some exposed to dangerous activities like minefield navigation. Human rights organizations warn that the combination of military mobilization and isolation in the camps perpetuates a cycle of dependency and control, leaving an entire generation without access to normal education, economic opportunity, or political choice. For many Sahrawi children, life in Tindouf is a prolonged period of exile under military supervision rather than a genuine refugee experience.
The Polisario Front has been implicated in activities that contribute to regional instability, particularly in the Sahel. Reports indicate that the Polisario Front has engaged in illicit activities, including arms trafficking and logistical support, which may facilitate the operations of terrorist groups in the region. Notably, individuals associated with the Polisario Front have been linked to the formation of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), a jihadist group operating in Mali and surrounding areas.
The Sahel region, encompassing countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has experienced a significant increase in terrorist activities. Groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), have been active in these areas. The convergence of various armed groups, including separatist movements and jihadist factions, has created a complex security environment. While direct collaboration between the Polisario Front and these groups remains a subject of investigation, the presence of former Polisario fighters in the ranks of groups like ISGS suggests a potential link between the separatist movement and jihadist activities in the Sahel.
The situation is further complicated by the involvement of external actors. Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front has been a point of contention, with accusations that this backing contributes to regional instability. Additionally, the presence of groups like the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, in the Sahel has raised concerns about the proliferation of armed groups and the challenges in countering terrorism in the region.
In response to these developments, there have been calls for designating the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. For instance, US lawmakers introduced the “Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act” in 2025, aiming to impose sanctions and recognize the group as a foreign terrorist organization. This move underscores the growing international concern over the Polisario Front’s activities and their implications for regional security
Algeria’s political and logistical support for the Polisario has been central to the movement’s endurance. Beyond providing shelter and supplies in the Tindouf camps, Algeria has consistently used the the Sahara dispute as leverage in its rivalry with Morocco. Diplomatic ties between the two nations have been frozen at multiple points, most recently after Morocco severed relations in 2021.
The rift complicates regional integration projects, such as trans-Saharan trade, joint security initiatives, and migration management. Analysts warn that the persistence of Polisario-led militarization reinforces an environment where arms trafficking, illicit economies, and militant networks flourish, particularly in fragile Sahelian states like Mali and Mauritania.
While the Polisario is not formally listed as a terrorist organization by the United States Department of State or the United Nations, it has been widely accused by Moroccan officials and international analysts of engaging in activities consistent with armed militant behavior. This includes attacks on border posts and trade routes, such as the 2020 Guerguerat blockade, alleged coordination with armed networks in the Sahel, and militarization and forced conscription in the refugee camps.
In 2025, US lawmakers introduced legislation, the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act, aimed at having the group formally designated as a terrorist organization. While not yet enacted, the bill reflects growing concern among US legislators and international observers regarding the Polisario’s methods and regional impact.
The 50th anniversary of the Green March highlights the stark contrast between Morocco’s celebrated narrative of national unity and the humanitarian and political limbo of the Sahrawi people. For Morocco, the march represents sovereignty and reclamation. For the Polisario and its supporters, it symbolizes decades of exile, armed conflict, and failed negotiations. Today, more than half a century later, Tindouf camps are home to generations of Sahrawis who have never seen an independent homeland. Reports of child soldier recruitment, forced indoctrination, and political exploitation continue. The ongoing standoff fuels a frozen conflict that impedes regional cooperation in the Maghreb and destabilizes parts of the Sahel. Analysts emphasize that the Polisario’s enduring militarization, combined with Algeria’s backing, represents a continuing threat to peace and security, not only for Morocco but for the broader North African and Sahel regions.
The Polisario Front’s evolution from an anti-colonial movement into a heavily militarized organization has left a profound human and geopolitical impact. While it claims to represent Sahrawi self-determination, evidence from UN, EU, and NGO reports indicates a pattern of human rights abuses, forced recruitment, and control over refugee populations. Its actions have sustained conflict, undermined regional diplomacy, and contributed to insecurity across the Sahel. Fifty years after the Green March, the legacy of this conflict is visible in a stalled political process with no referendum in sight, exiled populations trapped in extreme conditions, and frozen Morocco–Algeria relations that continue to inflame regional tension. This investigative perspective shows that the Sahara conflict is not a relic of colonial withdrawal but a living human crisis where politics, militarization, and exploitation continue to shape the lives of thousands of Sahrawi families and influence the stability of an entire region.