Syria, under the leadership of President Ahmed Al-Charaa, has officially severed ties with the Polisario. In the presence of Moroccan representatives, the new Syrian authorities declared the separatist movement persona non grata. This decision leaves the Polisario without a key regional backer, reducing its support in the Middle East to just Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran.
In a statement circulated by its own news agency, the Polisario claims that the Syrian presidency denies the presence of its fighters in Syrian prisons—an apparent counteroffensive as the Front faces an international campaign to designate it a terrorist organization.
Did Ahmed Attaf convince the new Syrian authorities to maintain ties with the Polisario ? Judging by the cold reception given to the Algerian foreign minister in Damascus, this objective seems difficult to achieve.