Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps involved in terrorist groups operating in the Sahel pose a serious threat to Spain, a country many of them know well. «According to intelligence sources, around a dozen Sahrawis born in the Tindouf camps (Algeria) took part in the 'Holidays in Peace' program, which allows children to spend summers in Spain, away from the harsh conditions of the desert and refugee camps. This is why they speak fluent Spanish», reported La Vanguardia on Sunday, June 8. Intelligence services have also raised concerns about the growing presence of Polisario-linked individuals in leadership roles within terrorist organizations in the Sahel, such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). These warnings come just three days after Spanish authorities arrested two Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps on suspicion of terrorist activity in Spain. Before being killed by French forces in Mali in 2021, Adnane Abou Walid al-Sahraoui recruited dozens of youths from the Tindouf camps into his group, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Among them was Abou Houzeifa, also known as Hugo, who was killed by the Malian army in April 2024. The La Vanguardia article has sparked outrage among Polisario supporters in Spain. «We express our deep concern and condemnation over the publication of articles on Sunday, June 8, by Enric Juliana and Joaquín Vera, which—under the guise of geopolitical analysis—uncritically echo the official Moroccan narrative and a discourse of fear, effectively criminalizing the Sahrawi cause», wrote a Polisario-affiliated media outlet.
