Moscow, 16 May 2026 (SPS) - Higher School of Economics in Moscow hosted a lecture delivered by the representative of the Polisario Front in Russia, Dr. Ali Salem Mohamed Fadel, entitled: “The 50th Anniversary of the Sahrawi Republic: Achievements and Challenges in the Current Phase.”
The lecture addressed the diplomatic successes achieved by the Sahrawi Republic, foremost among them recognition by dozens of countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America, in addition to its full membership in the African Union, which strengthened its political presence and consolidated its representation within continental institutions.
The speaker also emphasized the continued presence of the Sahrawi issue on the agenda of the United Nations as a matter of decolonization and the right to self-determination, as well as the participation of the Polisario Front in various international events related to human rights and decolonization.
The lecture reviewed European court rulings concerning the exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara, which affirmed the legal status of the territory and the necessity of respecting the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, considering these rulings among the most important legal gains supporting the Sahrawi position on the international stage.
It discussed the efforts of the Sahrawi state in building administrative and educational institutions within the Sahrawi refugee camps and the liberated territories, despite the conditions of displacement and limited resources, which has contributed to strengthening the image of Sahrawi state institutions and ensuring their continuity.
The lecture also addressed the major challenges facing the Sahrawi Republic, particularly the continued obstruction of the UN settlement process and the failure to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination through the referendum agreed upon in 1991 under the supervision of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), in addition to what the speaker described as the political and material support Morocco receives from certain influential international powers.
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