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.
At a moment when relations between the two neighbor countries are extremely deteriorating, the Algerian tension vis-à-vis Morocco tends to have negative consequences on the region as a whole and the quiet fight between the enemy brothers tends to change of shape…
