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Fifty Sahrawis who were trying to leave Tindouf camps managed by the Polisario Front, were arrested by Algerian army during the night of Monday to Tuesday, has learned the « Polisario Confidentiel”, from a reliable source close to the Guerilla movement leadership.
Led by the son of one of the Polisario executives, the group of fifty persons was trying to join Morocco through Mauritania. Alerted by an informer inside Tindouf camps, members from the Algerian intelligence and security department (DRS) have constituted with the Algerian military command in Tindouf, a commando in charge of bringing back the Sahrawis willing to join Morocco. Equipped with jeeps, soft weapons and two MI-24 Russian helicopters, the commando composed of Algerian soldiers from the élite and the DRS “action” service members, has crossed the likely roads to have been taken by Sahrawis.
On Tuesday, around 3 a.m., the helicopters have located the lights of mountain cars used by the escaping group and have alerted the groups working on land in order to bring back Polisario leader’s son as well as members of his family who were on travel.
The group did not show any resistance and has asked via a designated spokesman to be delivered to the UNHCR delegation so that some guarantees be given to them about their destiny.

Read more: Urgent : fifty Sahrawis were arrested by an Algerian commando while they were trying to escape from Tindouf

While getting close to a thousand of defectors who have - since 2010 - escaped the camps of the Polisario Front for Morocco, the revolutionary movement leadership decided to act ruthlessly, and totally review its camps security procedures. First targeted were the desert “land rover taxis”, which least movement requires now a clearance from the Polisario leadership.
A special pass should thus be delivered to any person using this type of All Terrain Vehicle in order to stop escapes to Morocco. The process used by most of the defectors is often the same: a 4x4 taxi up to Mauritania, then reporting to Morocco’s Consulate or the border crossing point to be supported by Moroccan authorities.
At the current pace of escapes by the “rallied” to Morocco, the Polisario Front simply fears that the camps get progressively emptied from the youngest and strongest people, leaving only the elderly, children and women. Such a change in the population of Tindouf camps would in fact dramatically affect the Polisario Front, threatening few months ago to take up arms, but risking not to find anyone to carry them.

Read more: Exclusive: Face up the huge number of escapes, the Polisario adopts a new plan to secure Tindouf camps

The Polisario senior official, Ahmed Berrih, who was in charge of security services in Tindouf camps, has been kidnapped by Algerian intelligence services, the famous DIS (Department of Intelligence and Security), while trying to join Morocco in the most secrecy. Berrih, whose war name is Ahmed Khalil, has been for ten years head of security in Tindouf camps and military regions. He is being currently detained by the DIS in a secret location in Ben-Aknoune, headquarters of the military security in the suburbs of Algiers. The kidnapping would have been planned in close coordination between the Polisario’s Chief and the Algerian intelligence officials, based on information confirming contacts being made between Ahmed Khalil and the Moroccan officials from the Sahara, who secretly prepared his return to Morocco. It was Berrih Spanish phone conversations tapped by the DIS, which revealed Berrih’s intentions. The same sources said that after his being arrested, Ahmed Khalil has been first interviewed – together by the Polisario and the Algerian intelligence services - at the detention centre in Tindouf fifth military region, on his intentions to join Morocco. According to other sources that talked to Polisario-Confidential, the reason behind Khalil’s arrest is to be searched for in his relation with the Polisario dissident Movement, Khat Achahid (Martyr line), that openly criticizes the Polisario leadership on its disastrous management of the Sahara issue.

Read more: Polisario: The security official kidnapped while trying to join Morocco

Some information emanating from the Algerian presidency security services have revealed to the Polisario-confidentiel that it was the son of a general who was behind the attempt to force the Republic Presidency headquarters’ gates, on Sunday 6th June, before being arrested by the security forces who have drawn shots to stop the vehicle. Aboard a powerful car, the general’s son has crushed into a mechanical barrier being at some meters from the entry of El Mouradia palace, an area which is mega-protected. The general whose offspring was behind this incident, was immediately called in to the DRS headquarters where he has been questioned by the security and intelligence department boss himself. The other security services have also taken the situation in hand to investigate about the real intentions of the general’s son who, as important detail, tried to leave the place after resorting to force. Once again, we are reduced to guess about what’s going on in Algeria facing the terrible omerta entertained by the military intelligence system. Speculations are going on about this incident, moreover, they are kept going on with the total black-out observed by the authorities.

Read more: Algeria : what is going on in El Mouradia palace ?