Several NGOs have raised concerns about the growing presence of extremist religious rhetoric in the Tindouf camps, warning of its impact on regional stability. The alert was issued during a side event in Geneva held as part of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The initiative, led by Biro Diawara, a prominent member of the African Meeting for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO), was organized in partnership with the Forum on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue (FICIR) and the NGO Voice for Peace & Justice. The session brought together around 40 participants. In his remarks, Diawara painted a troubling picture of insecurity in the Sahel and southern Algeria, particularly in and around the Tindouf camps. He underscored the role of extremist armed groups in fueling chronic instability across the region. Participants agreed on the urgent need for coordinated efforts among religious leaders, NGOs, and governments to confront the spread of hate speech and religious extremism. They stressed the importance of building peaceful, resilient, and inclusive societies, particularly in vulnerable regions such as the Sahel and the Tindouf camps. Just weeks earlier, the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia had warned of the recruitment of Polisario members by terrorist groups operating in the Sahel.
