On Sunday 20th of May, the Polisario Front made sure to commemorate the outbreak of its armed struggle in Tifariti, located east of the Moroccan Berm. The decision discredits the movement's stance and will to conduct direct negotiations with the Kingdom. After organizing military parades in Tifariti on Sunday, May 20th, commemorating the 45th anniversary of the outbreak of the Polisario's armed struggle, the front hosted a session of its «parliament» in the same locality. Meanwhile, the Front's media rejoiced over the fact that these festivities took place in «the liberated territory» of Tifariti, only three weeks after the United Nations Security Council adopted, on April the 27th, resolution 2414. On the other hand, the Algerian press agency was invited to cover the event. APS published articles on the festivities Monday that were later relayed by daily newspaper Oran, Le Soir d'Algérie, El Watan, El Moujahid, El Khabar and L'Expression. Direct negotiations Paradoxically, the Polisario's activities in Tifariti might strengthen Morocco's position. In fact, hosting festivities in the locality stresses on the Front's refusal of resuming negotiations with Morocco, which were suspended in March 2012. The events held on May the 20th in Tifariti also discredit the United Nations' mediating attempts and handling of the territorial dispute. The military parades and the «parliament» session held Sunday, May 20 in Tifariti, also run aground the efforts of Horst Köhler, conducted for months, in order to convince the European Union and other forces in the international scene to agree on pressuring the kingdom into negotiating directly with the Front. On Friday, 27th of April, the Security Council adopted resolution 2414, extending the MINURSO's mandate to six months and calling the Polisario to «immediately withdraw» from the buffer zone. The Polisario military troops have withdrawn from the Gueguerate buffer zone, a well-informed source told Yabiladi earlier this month after a series of incursions conducted weeks before the adoption of the yearly resolution. For the record, after adopting a resolution on Western Sahara in April 2017, the Front has followed the same steps. The Polisario's elements withdrew from Guerguerate.
