Morocco has successfully convinced African states to prioritize the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons from atrocities committed by armed and terrorist groups. Rabat's call for a refugee census has also gained the support of the African Union—two clear messages directed at the Polisario and Algeria. Morocco received a boost during the 38th Ordinary Summit of the African Union, recently held in Addis Ababa. While Rabat ceded the position of first vice-president of the African Commission to Algiers, it made significant progress toward getting the Polisario listed among the continent's terrorist organizations—or at least securing its condemnation for human rights violations. The current international context could further support this objective. Indeed, in its final declaration, consulted by Yabiladi, the summit «requested the Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security to compile a comprehensive list of leaders of armed and terrorist groups in Africa responsible for crimes against refugees and internally displaced persons, and to prosecute those who commit, encourage, finance, or facilitate such crimes». No participant expressed opposition or reservations on this matter. The implementation of this resolution could encourage refugees to testify about the abuses suffered in the prisons of armed groups. In the case of the Polisario, it is not only Sahrawis and Royal Armed Forces (FAR) soldiers who have endured violations, but also Mauritanians—whose cases have largely been overlooked by human rights organizations. AU Calls for Refugee Census The summit also urged member states to «strengthen the protection of refugee camps and internally displaced persons, and to take additional measures to shield them from exploitation by armed and terrorist groups». Additionally, it called on the AU Commission to develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and managing data on refugees, returnees, and internally displaced persons to improve decision-making and ensure effective humanitarian action. Algeria has long refused UN requests to conduct a census of the population in the Tindouf camps. The latest request was included in UN Security Council Resolution 2756 on Western Sahara, adopted on October 31, 2024. Algeria, however, has consistently pushed back, arguing in September 2022 at the UN General Assembly that «a census only makes sense if it is part of a fair and free referendum allowing the people of Western Sahara to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination». By securing the African Union's support for its longstanding demand for a census in Tindouf, Morocco has achieved progress within the continental organization, complementing its gains in UN bodies. Notably, as in previous AU summits, the final communiqué of the 38th summit made no mention of the Western Sahara issue.
