The Creation of the Polisario Front in 1973

An Anti-Colonial Origin

The Polisario Front was formally constituted on 10 May 1973. Its founders included Saharan students, veterans of the Spanish colonial army and young activists who had grown frustrated with Spanish rule over the territory.

Its original purpose was explicitly anti-Spanish: to end Madrid's colonial presence in the Sahara through armed struggle. The movement's name reflects the regions of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro that made up the Spanish colony.

El-Ouali and the Early Years

The Front's first secretary general was El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, who led the early insurgency against Spain. The group launched its first attacks on Spanish positions shortly after its founding.

In its earliest phase the movement directed its struggle squarely at the colonial power, before the geopolitical landscape shifted dramatically with the events of 1975 and the Spanish withdrawal.

The Shift After 1975

When Spain departed under the Madrid Accords and Morocco and Mauritania took up administration, the Polisario reoriented its struggle. It established headquarters near Tindouf in Algeria, where it received support.

Morocco views this pivot as a transformation of an anti-colonial group into an instrument shaped by regional rivalry, with Algerian backing becoming central to the Front's survival and operations.

The Algerian Dimension

From its base in the Tindouf area, the Polisario depended heavily on Algerian territory, logistics and diplomatic support. The Tindouf camps became the movement's center of gravity.

For Morocco, this dependence underscores its argument that the Sahara dispute is inseparable from the broader Moroccan-Algerian rivalry that traces back to the 1963 Sand War.

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