What do the appointments announced on Saturday, March 21, at the head of the Polisario's armed militias reveal? This reshuffle is reminiscent of the one carried out in 1991 by the former leadership of the Front. Here's an explanation. DR ‹ › The Polisario Front has launched a major reshuffle within its military leadership. Brahim Ghali has appointed Hamma Salama, a veteran figure from the movement's old guard, to replace Mohamed El Ouali Akeik. The latter had held the post since November 2021, a year after the Front announced its withdrawal from the ceasefire on November 13, 2020. A former president of the "Sahrawi parliament," Hamma Salama is a longstanding key figure within the Polisario. He notably served as second-in-command under Mohamed Abdelaziz. At the same time, Bachir Mustapha Sayed is expected to take over as head of the "Sahrawi parliament." This strategic position places the brother of the Front's founder at the center of discussions on Western Sahara, an issue that regained international prominence during Donald Trump's presidency. This reshuffle is part of a broader reorganization. Brahim Ahmed Mahmoud Biadillah has returned to the Tindouf camps after a brief six-month stint as the Polisario's "ambassador" to Cuba and has now been tasked with overseeing militia operations. On the same day, Brahim Ghali also appointed new commanders for several military regions. The tribal factor at play These appointments, made at a sensitive moment, are raising questions both in the Tindouf camps and in the Sahara. According to a former Polisario member who returned to Morocco and spoke to Yabiladi, the changes "respond to tribal balances." "Except for Taleb Ammi Diya, who was promoted to second-in-command of the armed militias and comes from the Oulad Tidranin tribe, all the other appointees are Rguibates," the source said. Diya is currently hospitalized in Valencia, Spain. The same source draws a parallel with 1991. "After the ceasefire that year under United Nations auspices, the Front's leadership carried out a major reshuffle within the armed militias, sidelining non-Rguibate cadres in order to better control the process of identifying Sahrawis for the referendum project," the source explained. "Mohamed El Ouali Akeik, from the Izarguiyyine tribe and then head of the army, was sent abroad to lead a Front representation," the source added. This Saturday, Akeik was appointed "minister advisor" to Brahim Ghali, a position widely seen as largely symbolic. According to the same source, these decisions reflect a desire to consolidate control during a particularly sensitive phase in discussions on the Sahara. "We are witnessing a similar pattern to 1991, with one key difference: the referendum is no longer on the table and has been replaced by discussions on autonomy, initiated by the United States." What remains unchanged, however, is the Rguibates' effort to concentrate power in order to safeguard their interests.
