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It is almost two years that he has disappeared from the detecting screens, but his shadow continues its influence on the Moroccan-Algerian relations. Larbi Belkheir, who “whispered” in the ears of the different Algerian presidents since over 30 years, and one of the major “Janvierists”, has passed away since last Thursday. In symbolic and operational terms, this disappearance has important consequences on the Western Sahara issue, as it is the man who has participated in the major progress achieved in the previous bridge-building between Morocco and Algeria who has disappeared. Belkheir, despite what might have been written, did not feel boredom in Rabat and seriously assumes his Ambassador role. He had relentlessly tried to renew the dialogue links, to recreate bridges between the Master of El Mouradia Palace and the King of Morocco. Weary, the regression of his influence at the first circle, together with the seizure of the Algerian Military Security of the bilateral Moroccan-Algerian relations issue, were behind his voluntarism and his different attempts whether public or more...discrete.

Read more: Death of Larbi Belkheir, Sahara case will be in the exclusive hands of the Algerian Military Intelligence

After a break holiday of one week for website restructuring, Polisario Confidential has the pleasure to announce to its readers that it has reached one-millionth visitor. The success of this website is due in fact to the thousands of monthly web surfers looking for high quality information, often exclusive, about the Western Sahara conflict. In nearly two years and a half, “Polisario-Confidential” has reported over 30 scoops, troubled a number of officials, and revealed the motivations of the complex machinery behind Algiers -Tindouf axe, or the sponsoring of one of the last guerrilla movements in the world by a very particular regime. During these years, “Polisario Confidential” has thus revealed secret documents, exclusive images and reported new decoded texts, explaining the tectonic and the alliance reversals surrounding the deaf battle in which Rabat and Algiers are indulged.

Read more: Polisario Confidential celebrates its one-millionth visitor

Although it is a piece of information that can seem at first sight insignificant, it has a great importance, as informal talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front are likely to start again. In fact, according to sources close to the Polisario Front leadership, the Algerian intelligence services, the DRS (Department of Intelligence and Security) had arrested Thursday evening members of the Polisario Front that had openly shown their sympathy for the Moroccan plan for the Sahara conflict settlement, and who would be close relatives of Ahmedou Ould Souilem, former No.2 of the Polisario Front diplomacy, recently returning back to Morocco (internal link), and rather voluble as for the “excesses” carried out by the guerilla movement leadership (video link). Following the implication of the dissident movement of the Polisario Khat Achahid (the Martyr Line) almost one week ago, these arrests confirm Algeria’s wish to nip in the bud any desire of the camps people to adhere to the settlement plan proposed by Morocco.

Read more: Exclusive: The DRS arrests in Tindouf militants supporting the autonomy plan

It seems that there would be a second tour of “informal” negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front after the failure of the first round which has taken place in Austria, last summer. This round did not allow to resume the Manhasset process, which has itself known many sessions without any success, since each party kept sticking to its position. Nevertheless, important evolutions in the context have taken place starting with the last direct meeting between Morocco and the Polisario Front, since reliable information stating important disagreement between the members of the Guerilla movement and its Algerian godfather, has come to light through media. Since the issue of the “camper” Aminatou Haidar, paradoxically, these disagreements have increased, the Polisario Front think that the escalation planned by Algiers was harmful to their interests and that the manoeuvres of the Algerian intelligence services make it more difficult to regain confidence, an essential element during negotiations.

Read more: The shape of informal negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario are "not yet determined"