Why young Sahrawis are joining military movement against Morocco
Sahrawi youth have grown tired of waiting for the United Nations to break the stalemate between Western Sahara and Morocco.
TINDOUF, Algeria — Since Moroccan authorities expelled United Nations personnel in March, a 25-year cease-fire has grown tenuous and the Sahrawi people seem to have lost hope for a peaceful resolution to their quest for independence.
The Sahrawi liberation movement, the Polisario Front, is attracting recruits — especially younger ones.
Walad Bujama, 21, joined the Polisario Front in 2015. His father lost his eye during the guerrilla war that the Sahrawi people unleashed against Morocco in 1975. His uncle died fighting the Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara in 1985. Despite the current danger, Bujama said, the long wait for a solution that could determine his future has made him ready to take up arms.
“I no longer believe the UN can reach a solution. I see war as the only remaining option,” he told Al-Monitor.
