A delegation from the Sahrawi Movement for Peace (MSP) is participating in the Socialist International Women's Council meeting in Istanbul, held from May 21 to 23, according to the movement's Secretary General, Hach Ahmed Bericalla. The Polisario Front is also attending the gathering, appearing alongside its rival, the MSP. Organizers have presented both the Polisario and the MSP as representatives of the «Western Sahara»—a designation that contradicts claims made by Polisario-aligned media, which reported that the «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is participating in a meeting organized in Turkey on human rights». Since its creation in April 2020, the MSP has consistently contested the Polisario's claim to be the sole legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. Its participation in the Socialist International event reinforces its strategy of gaining international recognition. The MSP is also pushing at the United Nations for a broader role in resolving the Western Sahara conflict. It is worth recalling that in December 2024, during a meeting in Rabat organized by the USFP, the Socialist International approved the MSP's request for observer membership. The Polisario also holds a seat within the organization but only as a consultative member, a status that excludes it from voting on Socialist International resolutions.
