Algiers, February 27, 2025 (SPS) – Sahrawi ambassador Malainin Lakhal, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sahrawi Republic to the African Union, affirmed in an interview published today by Africa News that the future belongs to the Sahrawi Republic as an irreversible reality and that victory is inevitable. He stated that the Sahrawi people are steadfastly advancing toward achieving their freedom and independence despite the attempts of the Moroccan occupier and its supporters from former colonial powers.
Here is the full text of the interview:
Morocco is No Longer Just an Occupying Force in Western Sahara, But a Partner in Zionist Hegemony Projects
On the 49th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Republic, Ambassador Malainin Lakhal, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sahrawi Republic to the African Union, speaks to Africa News.
Interviewed by: Camelia Amir
Today, the Sahrawi people commemorate the 49th anniversary of the establishment of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a testament to their ongoing struggle against Moroccan occupation, which continues to impose repression and forced displacement on the Sahrawis. On this occasion, Ambassador Malainin Lakhal, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sahrawi Republic to the African Union, granted us this interview to discuss the achievements of the Sahrawi people and their enduring struggle for independence.
1. It has been 49 years since the declaration of the Sahrawi Republic, yet the Sahrawi people remain steadfast in their fight for independence. How do you assess their journey since 1976?
M.L: I believe that nearly half a century of resilience and resistance against colonial forces—French, Spanish, and their Moroccan proxy—has demonstrated that the Sahrawi people have written one of the greatest chapters of resistance in contemporary African and global history. Since the proclamation of the Sahrawi Republic in 1976, at a time when these powers colluded against them, the Sahrawis have fought fierce battles with limited means, militarily, diplomatically, culturally, and humanitarianly, against vastly superior forces. Yet, they have proved to be a formidable player in regional, continental, and international affairs—one that cannot be ignored or bypassed.
Many may not fully grasp the magnitude of the historical achievements of the Sahrawi revolution over the past 50 years. However, when one examines the systematic efforts of colonial powers to deny the Sahrawi people their unity and independence by leaving their land without governance, it becomes clear that the proclamation of the Sahrawi Republic by the martyr El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, leader of the May 20 Revolution, and his comrades in the Polisario Front, disrupted these colonial schemes. Their sacrifices cemented the will of the Sahrawi people.
The national unity of the Sahrawis remains a constant source of distress for the Moroccan occupation, while the Sahrawi state has solidified as an undeniable political reality. Meanwhile, the Moroccan occupation continues to struggle, failing repeatedly to impose its so-called legitimacy, whether by seeking recognition from the French, the Spanish, or even the Zionists—without success. Despite the global crises that have dismantled empires and the extensive conspiracies, bribery, and collusion of anti-freedom forces, the Sahrawi people remain steadfast, holding onto their right to freedom and independence. They rely on their own capabilities and the support of freedom-loving nations, particularly the brotherly Algerian people and all freedom-loving peoples of Africa and beyond. Their unwavering belief is that victory is certain.
2. Diplomatically, there have been significant achievements for the Sahrawi cause. What is your assessment?
Undoubtedly, the Sahrawi cause has made major diplomatic gains, positioning the Sahrawi Republic as a key player in any political equation in the region and the continent. The Sahrawi Republic is a founding and active member of the African Union (AU), and whether Morocco acknowledges it or not, it has recognized this fact by signing the AU’s Constitutive Act, which it published in its official gazette. By doing so, Morocco accepted the AU’s principles, including the recognition of borders inherited from colonial era and acknowledgment of all founding AU members—including the Sahrawi Republic. This was a significant diplomatic and political setback for Morocco.
Furthermore, Morocco now finds itself sitting alongside the Sahrawi Republic in continental and international meetings with European, Asian, and other global entities. This undermines its ability to criticize other nations for engaging with the Sahrawi Republic, as it is forced to do so itself.
Legally, the Sahrawi Republic has waged and won decisive legal battles against Morocco and its supporters who plunder its natural resources. The most recent victory was the European Court of Justice's ruling of October 2024 that any agreements between Morocco and the EU involving Western Sahara’s resources are null and void. Similar rulings have also prohibited the exploitation of Western Sahara’s airspace and waters.
While the Sahrawi Republic gains international support due to the legitimacy of its cause, Morocco is forced to spend millions of dollars bribing officials and coercing or begging for diplomatic favors. It has sold off its people’s dignity and resources in the process, only to face scandal after scandal. Ultimately, the Sahrawi Republic has successfully presented its just cause in every international forum, exposed Moroccan occupation policies, and revealed their reliance on deception and bribery rather than legitimate arguments.
3. Morocco continues to commit blatant human rights violations—torture, suppression, and even the recent arrest of a child. How do the Sahrawis plan to confront this oppression both on the ground and diplomatically?
Moroccan repression in the occupied territories is not new. It is a continuation of the terror tactics used since its invasion of Western Sahara, similar to the methods employed by past colonial powers, all of which failed in their oppressive agendas. Despite enduring various forms of oppression, crimes against humanity, and even genocide, the Sahrawi people have never broken; they continue to resist with ironclad determination.
On the ground, Sahrawis persist in their peaceful struggle, confronting the occupation with legendary resilience. Dozens of Sahrawi political prisoners remain in Moroccan jails, refusing to submit to the occupier, clinging to their dignity and resistance.
Legally, Moroccan violations in Western Sahara have become a heavy burden, exposing the Moroccan regime before international human rights organizations. Increasing pressure in this regard remains an effective tool to achieve justice. No international human rights organization—whether UN-affiliated or independent ones like Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International—can claim ignorance of the situation in occupied Sahrawi territories. This has stripped Morocco and its European backers of their deceptive masks, exposing their hypocrisy and complicity in violating human rights and international law. Sooner or later, they will be forced to bow to the will of the Sahrawi people.
4. Since resuming armed struggle in 2020, the Sahrawis have dealt painful blows to the Moroccan army. How do you assess the military situation?
I do not claim to be able to provide a military assessment of the heroic operations carried out by the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army against the Moroccan occupiers since November 2020. However, it is evident that these daily operations along the Moroccan-built “Wall of Shame” have disrupted the occupation's designs, exposing the weakness of its army despite its propaganda. This has forced Morocco to seek military, material, and intelligence support from its French and Zionist patrons.
The battlefield has proven that power does not lie in weaponry but in willpower. The Sahrawis have demonstrated that their determination is unbreakable, that their struggle will continue until every inch of their land is liberated, and that they measure victory not in time, money, or weaponry, but in resilience, perseverance, and patience. The real question is: who will remain standing in the end? Will it be the Moroccan regime, humiliated and submissive to Zionism, or the brave Sahrawi fighters, willing to sacrifice everything for freedom and dignity?
5. How do you view Morocco’s recent diplomatic maneuvers, such as hosting French Minister Rachida Dati?
Morocco’s efforts to host foreign political figures loyal to its cause are nothing more than desperate attempts to legitimize its internationally rejected occupation. Regardless of who Morocco invites—be it Rachida Dati or the President of the French Senate, who also made a recent visit to the occupied territories to ease the pressure on his Moroccan protectorate, along with other fallen or certainly bribed foreign figures, will not change reality. Morocco is an illegal occupying power, and its presence in Western Sahara is unlawful. Western Sahara does not belong to Rachida Dati, France, or anyone else to grant it to Morocco. It belongs exclusively to the Sahrawi people, who alone have the right to determine their destiny.
Thus, these political maneuvers and circus acts are nothing but a storm in a teacup. No matter how hard the Moroccan regime tries to seek a lost legitimacy, it cannot change the reality that it is an occupying force with no sovereignty over Western Sahara. This reminds me of similar examples from the great Algerian Revolution—everyone recalls how President Charles de Gaulle himself visited Algeria during the final years of French colonial rule in Algeria, yet these visits brought nothing but disappointment for him and for France. The Algerian people alone were the masters of their land, and they alone decided their fate—not any foreign power, French or otherwise.
6. Has Morocco’s normalization with Israel affected the Sahrawi cause?
Morocco’s decision to normalize relations with the Zionist entity has exposed its schemes more than ever before, revealing the opportunistic, submissive, and treacherous nature of the regime. Morocco is no longer just an occupying force in Western Sahara; it has become a partner in Zionist hegemonic projects and an accomplice in the genocide being committed against our brothers in Gaza, Lebanon, and other parts of the world suffering from Zionist brutality.
The Sahrawis have never relied on the Moroccan regime to take honorable stances. They have resisted Morocco since the 1970s, along with the same colonial powers that once hid their involvement but can no longer do so, as Moroccan occupation is now in its final stages. These forces are now desperately trying to keep it afloat.
The Moroccan regime has lost everything and is taking its last breaths. It has completely surrendered itself to global Zionism and its French patrons. It has nothing left to offer—neither to its own people nor to the region’s nations. It is now ready to be cast into the garbage heap of history, and I believe that will happen much sooner than many might expect.
7. Final words on the 49th anniversary of your Republic?
On this 49th anniversary, we declare to the entire world that the Sahrawi people remain determined to stand tall and steadfast until their last breath. Here, on this sacred land, they have never been broken, never wavered in their principles and rights, and will never retreat until full independence is achieved and every last inch of Saguia el-Hamra and Oued Ed-Dahab—the land of saints, martyrs, and proud resistance fighters—is liberated.
The Sahrawi Republic is not just a dream; it is a reality deeply rooted in the land and in the hearts of all Sahrawis, growing stronger with each day of resistance and sacrifice. It will endure as long as there is life in the Sahrawi people.
Over time, we have proven that our will cannot be defeated and that the occupier’s bet on time was nothing but an illusion. The future is ours, victory is inevitable, and the Sahrawi people will continue their unwavering march toward freedom and independence—no matter the challenges. And “May the eyes of the cowards never find rest.”
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