MINURSO Inspects Smara Attacks: A Message to the UN Unmasks the Polisario’s Terrorist Nature

By: Iman El Aloui | ALDAR

The United Nations Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) conducted a thorough field visit to the sites where four projectiles struck near the city of Smara. The attack, a serious military act bearing the hallmarks of the separatist Polisario Front, underscores growing regional threats. The inspection was carried out alongside elements of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, highlighting the close coordination between Rabat and the UN to ensure professional and transparent documentation of any security breaches that threaten regional stability.

The UN’s move came in response to this cowardly terrorist attack, which, although it caused no casualties, once again exposed the true face of the Polisario—a militant group engaging in acts of terrorism by targeting civilian areas. This behavior stands in stark contradiction to international humanitarian law and to the group’s claims of a so-called “political struggle.”

While the field visit aligns with MINURSO’s core mission to monitor the ceasefire, the nature of this latest assault raises serious questions about the scope and effectiveness of the mission’s current mandate. With repeated attacks and growing threats from the separatist front—openly or tacitly supported by Algeria—MINURSO now faces a genuine test of credibility.

Well-informed sources confirmed that the report MINURSO will submit to UN Secretary-General António Guterres will include highly detailed technical findings. This report is expected to expose the Polisario’s methods of warfare, aimed at destabilizing Moroccan Saharan cities located beyond the security wall.

This latest assault is part of a broader pattern of escalating provocations since the Polisario unilaterally withdrew from the ceasefire agreement in November 2020. In response, Morocco has adopted a firm approach rooted in strategic restraint and reinforced security presence around sensitive zones.

These developments now place the international community before a pressing responsibility—not only to document such incidents but to call them by their true name: The Polisario is an armed organization carrying out terrorist acts against civilians. It cannot be treated as a political actor in a regional dispute but must be recognized as a cross-border threat to peace and stability.