Tindouf Camps ‹ › The Trump administration is hailed as «the first to make a genuine and commendable effort to bridge differences and facilitate direct negotiations between the two parties, in line with United Nations resolutions». These comments were made by Mohamed Yeslemb Beissat, the so-called «foreign minister» of the Polisario, during an interview with the official Algerian channel Al24 News from the Tindouf camps. He described the American initiative as a «significant development» in the ongoing efforts to resolve the Sahara issue. However, Beissat seemed to overlook the fact that previous negotiation rounds, such as those in Manhasset in 2007 and 2008, as well as the Geneva Round Tables in December 2018 and March 2019, were also facilitated by past American administrations. Meanwhile, Brahim Ghali cautiously welcomed «the current efforts led by the United Nations and the United States of America, as per Resolution 2797 (adopted on October 31, editor's note), to achieve a just, definitive, and mutually acceptable solution». This position marks a shift from the Polisario's previous criticisms. The movement had strongly condemned «certain passages» of the latest UN resolution, which was drafted solely by the United States. «This represents a dangerous and unprecedented deviation (...). These elements also violate the international status of Western Sahara (...) and hinder the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy», the Polisario stated in a communiqué dated October 31. The Polisario had declared that it «will not participate in any political process or negotiation based on 'proposals' that do not adhere to the principle of 'self-determination'». The discussions around the Sahara, initiated by the United States in February, are primarily centered on the Moroccan autonomy plan for the region, recently outlined by Rabat. In the United States, pressure on the Polisario has intensified. This is evidenced by endorsements from members of Congress and senators for two legislative proposals seeking to classify the Polisario as a terrorist organization, alongside its Shiite allies, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
