Polisario Retreats: Autonomy Proposal Gains Ground as a Realistic Political Option

ALDAR / Analysis

In a significant shift reflecting the mounting internal and external pressures facing the Polisario Front, its leadership has, for the first time, hinted at the possibility of accepting autonomy as one of the potential solutions to the Western Sahara dispute. This comes after years of rigid separatist rhetoric, which is increasingly clashing with regional and international realities.

This change in discourse is no coincidence—it signals a gradual erosion of the secessionist project, especially after a string of diplomatic defeats. Numerous countries have withdrawn recognition of the so-called “Sahrawi Republic,” while international support continues to grow for Morocco’s autonomy initiative, widely regarded as the most serious, credible, and realistic proposal, as reiterated in successive UN Security Council resolutions.

This shift cannot be separated from developments in Algeria, the Polisario’s main backer, which finds itself in an increasingly awkward position on the international stage. The Western Sahara issue has become a diplomatic and economic burden for Algeria, a country already facing economic downturns and domestic political pressure. Algiers is now struggling to justify its financial and political support for a movement that has lost direction and international relevance.

Sources close to decision-making circles within the Polisario confirm that there is growing internal debate about “alternative options” to the long-defunct idea of a referendum, which has become diplomatically obsolete. Autonomy, once categorically rejected by the Polisario, is no longer off the table. It is now being discussed as a practical political solution that could preserve face and provide a way out of the prolonged stalemate.

But does the Polisario have the political will and organizational capacity to seriously engage in a genuine negotiation process? And will its sponsors—chiefly the Algerian regime—allow it to embrace a solution that would effectively end the conflict in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity?

What seems increasingly clear is that the separatist narrative is fading, and the Moroccan autonomy initiative—offering extensive self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty—has emerged as the only serious and viable option in the eyes of the international community.

The landscape is shifting… and the compass now points toward Rabat.