Oubi Bachir Bouchraya is no longer the Polisario Front's representative in Geneva. Brahim Ghali has officially ended his assignment, appointing him instead as a «counselor in charge of natural resources and legal affairs». «This feels more like a sanction than a promotion. Oubi Bachir is now expected to leave Switzerland and relocate to the Tindouf camps to be closer to the president», a former member of the Polisario told Yabiladi. Bachir had been appointed to the Geneva post in May 2023, after several years as the Polisario's representative to the European Union, a position that allowed him to travel widely across Europe. During his two years in Geneva, he was unable to curb Morocco's growing influence within UN bodies based in the Swiss city. Morocco has steadily increased its presence at meetings on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council sessions, often featuring Sahrawi figures who had broken ties with the Polisario to support the Kingdom. Oubi Bachir has yet to publicly respond to what some view as a symbolic consolation appointment. His dismissal comes just three months after the appointment of Mohamed Yeslem Beissat as the Polisario's new «Minister of Foreign Affairs».
