A Significant Blow to the Polisario Front
The Polisario Front has announced the death of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, a prominent Sahrawi leader, who was killed in combat against Moroccan forces on Sunday. This tragic event has sent ripples through the Sahrawi community, as Abdelaziz was not only the son of the organization's founder but also a vital member of its National Secretariat. Reports indicate that he fell ‘martyr in the struggle’ alongside two other fighters during a conflict that has been ongoing for decades. The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain unclear, as the Sahrawi armed forces did not provide specific details, though sources suggest they were victims of a Moroccan drone strike. This incident underscores the escalating tensions and violence in the region as the fight for independence continues.
A Legacy of Leadership
Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz was born in 1989 in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria. He was the son of Mohamed Abdelaziz, the historic leader of the Polisario Front and former president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), who passed away in 2016 after a lengthy illness. Lahbib pursued a degree in International Relations and joined the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army in 2011, quickly rising through the ranks to become a significant figure within both the military and political structures of the Polisario Front. His leadership was evident as he assumed the role of commander of the first campaign brigade of the Sahrawi armed forces in 2024 and was subsequently elected as a member of the National Secretariat during the XVI Congress of the Polisario Front. His untimely death marks not only a personal loss for his family, including his wife and three children, but also a substantial gap in the leadership of the Sahrawi independence movement.
The situation in the Sahrawi territories has remained tenuous since 2020, following Morocco's military incursion into the demilitarized zone of Guerguerat. This area had been a point of contention as it separates Mauritania from the disputed Sahrawi territories. The Polisario Front condemned this action as a violation of the 1991 ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations, prompting military operations against Moroccan defenses. The ongoing conflict continues to claim lives and deepen the divisions in this long-standing territorial dispute, with the Sahrawi people fiercely advocating for their right to self-determination.
As reported by eldiario.es.
