Former polisario leader denounces impoverishment, brainwashing suffered by Tindouf population

Dakhla - Ahmeddou Ould Souilem, a former leading founding member of the Algeria-backed separatist movement of Polisario who recently returned to Morocco, denounced the process of "impoverishment, moral indoctrination and brainwashing" suffered by the population of the Tindouf camps (south-western Algeria).

Ould Souilem, who held a meeting on Saturday with civil society actors in the southern city of Dakhla, underlined "the failure of the separatist theory of the polisario's leaders that proved to be unrealistic and fails to meet the convictions of the Sahrawis."

He said that polisario and Algeria "have an interest in the status quo to the detriment of the sufferings endured by the inhabitants of the camps."

He drew attention to the contradictions in the position of Algeria, which "claims to defend the interests of the Sahrawis, while rejecting their return to the homeland and keeping them in an unsustainable place."

Referring to Morocco's proposal to grant autonomy to its southern provinces, the Sahara, Ould Souilem said that this initiative is a "courageous step" that offers "a real alternative to the status quo of the Sahara issue."

He also called on the Sahrawis to step up efforts for the realization of this initiative, which “takes into account our concerns and ensures our future in our homeland.”