Polisario escalates threats as calls for terrorism designation grow

Wednesday 15 October 2025 - 11:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Polisario escalates threats as calls for terrorism designation grow

A senior Polisario leader has ignited fresh concerns by issuing terror threats against Morocco and the wider region, raising alarm over the group’s militarization and destabilizing activities.

Mansur Omar, a high-ranking figure within the Polisario Front, claimed the group possesses weapons capable of targeting cities such as Laayoune and Dakhla. He threatened that if these weapons are used, “Morocco will then have neither phosphates nor fish,” hinting at the separatist group’s intent to disrupt the country's economic stability. Omar also alleged that acquiring weapons is not a challenge for Polisario, though he described their current actions as part of a “low-intensity war.”

The remarks come amid heightened global scrutiny of the Algeria-backed group, which declared an armed conflict against Morocco in November 2020. This declaration followed Morocco’s peaceful intervention to restore civilian trade at the Guerguerat border crossing after Polisario’s blockade halted traffic between Morocco and Mauritania.

In response to these provocations, King Mohammed VI reaffirmed that Morocco’s military actions in the region are fully aligned with its “most legitimate right.” During a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the monarch emphasized that Morocco acted to protect its sovereignty after the UN’s efforts to defuse tensions failed.

Growing calls for terrorism designation

Polisario’s ongoing threats and militarization have fueled international calls to classify the group as a terrorist organization. Lawmakers in countries such as the United States have urged their governments to take action, citing Polisario’s destabilizing role in the Maghreb and Sahel regions.

In July, US Congressman Joe Wilson introduced a bill calling for the designation of Polisario as a terrorist group. The bill highlights the group’s ties to Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its history of attacks, including violent operations against Moroccan forces. It also notes Polisario’s ideological alignment with Iran, dating back to the 1980s, when the group sought Iranian support by publicly displaying portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Polisario’s threats have not been confined to rhetoric. Earlier this year, another senior member, Mustapha Sidi Ali El Bachir, warned foreign investors and tourists in Morocco’s southern provinces of potential harm, declaring that “any foreign investor or tourist in the Sahara is putting their life at risk.” The group has also targeted civilians and events, including a terror attack in Es-Semara in 2022 that killed one person and injured three others.

As concerns over the group’s actions grow, the international community continues to debate how best to counter its threats and prevent further regional destabilization.