The Polisario Frente decided to give the UN mediator, Peter van Walsum hard time. His crime? Not enough “malleable” by the guerrilla. The direct talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front will resume on March after three “observation” rounds. A clear inflecting Polisario new strategy aims at destroying the legitimacy of the UN to treat the file. This doctrinal evolution is worrying on several levels. Initially, the threats of resumption of the armed struggle by the revolutionary movement, like the FARCS in Colombia, show the crispation of the movement towards the Moroccan offer of a large autonomy to its southern provinces.
The Polisario Front tactics consisting in removing the men designated by the UN Secretary General to treat the file are a diversion to save time knowing that the datelines has been specified. Some nations concerned by the Sahara issue are starting to show impatience and incomprehension to the rejection by the Polisario of the Moroccan solution, which represents an honorable exit to the conflict for all the parties involved.
The fact that South Africa must soon leave its seat of nonpermanent member of the Security Council worries the Polisario Front and Algeria, which would be deprived of an ally within the council. This sum of unfavorable elements pushed the Polisario Front to engage in a series of opprobrium on the UN mediator through “satellite” blogs presenting its impartiality like a sign of a “tropism” in favor of Morocco. Added to that, the recent election of Jean Ping, from Gabon at the head of the African Union puts the Polisario Front in unfavorable position within the African continent. Gabon is a secular ally of the kingdom of morocco and the friendship between the king Hassan II and Omar bongo Ondimba has never been contradicted; it even continues by the friendship binding King Mohammed VI and Ali Bongo, current defense Minister.
