An Imminent Threat Approaches Europe: Italian Media Sounds the Alarm on Polisario’s Involvement in Terror Networks in the Sahel

ALDAR/

In an investigative report, an Italian newspaper shed light on the growing security threats emanating from the Sahel region of Africa, warning that the area is turning into an “out-of-control jihadist sanctuary” just a stone’s throw from Europe’s borders. The article, published by the Italian outlet NICOLAPORRO, cited Spanish intelligence reports revealing that extremist fighters from the Tindouf camps—controlled by the Polisario—have joined terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and ISIS–West Africa Province. Some of these fighters have even taken on leadership roles within these organizations.

The investigation also highlighted concerns over Italy’s “Peace Ambassadors” program, similar to Spain’s “Vacations in Peace” initiative, which has allegedly been exploited by Polisario and Algeria for ideological purposes. According to the newspaper, some former beneficiaries of these programs—raised in Spanish families and fluent in the language and culture—have now become active members of terrorist organizations. This enables them to operate and recruit within Europe with alarming effectiveness.

The report suggests that the Tindouf camps, which operate outside United Nations oversight, have become fertile ground for recruitment and radicalization, fueled by dire living conditions and widespread frustration. It specifically names known terrorists who emerged from these camps, such as Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, former leader of ISIS in the Sahel, along with others implicated in terror plots within Europe.

As attacks intensify across the Sahel and international forces withdraw, the article warns of jihadist ambitions to seize regional capitals and recreate scenarios similar to those witnessed in Damascus or Kabul. The Sahel, it cautions, is a powder keg poised to explode at Europe’s doorstep.

The newspaper calls on Italian security services to heighten their vigilance and strengthen cooperation with trustworthy partners—chief among them Morocco, which has amassed extensive field intelligence and diplomatic expertise in the Sahel. With a strong presence across the region, Rabat is described as an indispensable strategic ally in confronting this cross-border threat.

In a stark conclusion, the article asserts that the Polisario is no longer merely a local separatist movement, but has become an integral part of a broader international axis working to destabilize regional security and threaten European safety—through suspicious ties with jihadist groups and expansionist agendas stretching from the Sahel to Europe.