Polisario Front Insists Morocco’s Autonomy Plan Must Go to Referendum
The Polisario Front, the Sahrawi independence movement backed by Algeria- Photo by Al-monitor 2022
DAJLA, Algeria— The Polisario Front, the Sahrawi independence movement backed by Algeria, has declared that it would consider accepting the autonomy plan proposed by Western Sahara’s administering power Morocco but only if the plan is submitted to a referendum that includes independence as an option. At a press briefing on October 24, 2025, Polisario chief diplomat Mohamed Yeslem Beissat presented a revised proposal to the United Nations that now includes three key choices for the Sahrawi people: independence, full integration into Morocco, or a free-association pact. Beissat emphasised that any solution discussed outside the framework of a referendum would be unacceptable.
This statement coincides with heightened diplomatic activity ahead of a scheduled UN Security Council review of the conflict on October 31.
For nearly half a century, the Western Sahara dispute has lingered between Morocco’s governance of much of the territory and the Polisario’s call for an independent Sahrawi state. Morocco has increasingly gained diplomatic backing for its 2007 autonomy proposal including support from several Western nations.
Polisario’s insistence on a referendum signifies its attempt to maintain a negotiating position hinging on self-determination, even while conditions shift in favor of Morocco’s sovereignty claim. Analysts view the move as a strategic effort to safeguard the group’s relevance amid evolving regional dynamics.
The coming weeks could mark a turning point. The outcome of the UN review, combined with mounting international alignment behind Morocco’s autonomy model, may redefine the conflict’s trajectory. For the Sahrawi movement, the referendum condition remains the pivotal red line.
