As a human rights organisation committed to the promotion and protection of international human rights and humanitarian law, Adala UK expresses deep concern over recent attempts to mischaracterise the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation. Such allegations, including those published in The Telegraph, represent a dangerous form of disinformation that not only undermines the legitimate right of the Saharawi people to self-determination but also poses a serious threat to international peace and justice.

In recent weeks, a concerning wave of media coverage such as a recent article in The Telegraph has sought to distort the image of the Polisario Front by associating it with terrorism and regional instability. These accusations not only lack credible evidence but represent a dangerous manipulation of public discourse aimed at undermining the Saharawi people’s legitimate struggle for self-determination.

A Recognised Liberation Movement, Not a Terror Group

The Polisario Front is the internationally recognised representative of the Saharawi people. It was officially acknowledged as such by the United Nations in 1979 and has since led diplomatic and peaceful efforts to secure the Saharawi people’s right to decide their own future. The Polisario negotiated the ceasefire agreement with Morocco under UN auspices in 1991 and remains committed to peaceful dialogue despite decades of occupation, repression, and broken promises.

Historically, liberation movements have been mischaracterised to delegitimise their cause. Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC), for instance, were long branded as terrorists by powerful states and media, despite leading a principled resistance to apartheid. Mandela, once vilified, later became a global icon of human rights and reconciliation. Today, attempts to brand the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation follow this same playbook of political defamation dangerously undermining international law and human dignity.

Diplomatic Legitimacy and International Standing

The Polisario Front is not a rogue entity operating in the shadows. It leads the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a founding member of the African Union and a state recognised by dozens of countries around the world. The SADR maintains diplomatic missions in several continents and enjoys full participation within continental and multilateral platforms.

Efforts to portray the Polisario as an Iranian proxy or extremist group not only ignore its historical and legal legitimacy, but also dangerously conflate Saharawi national aspirations with foreign agendas. These unfounded accusations often peddled by pro-Moroccan lobbying groups serve one purpose: to delegitimise Saharawi resistance and dismantle the one structured body capable of negotiating on their behalf.

The Dire Human Rights Situation in Occupied Western Sahara

While narratives are being constructed to smear the Polisario, the reality in the occupied territories of Western Sahara is being ignored. Adala UK has repeatedly documented serious and ongoing human rights abuses against Saharawi civilians living under Moroccan occupation. These include arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and the suppression of peaceful protests and media freedom.

Saharawi political prisoners, such as those from the Gdeim Izik group, remain behind bars following unfair trials based on forced confessions. Moroccan authorities systematically target human rights defenders and civil society organisations, creating an atmosphere of fear and repression that stifles any expression of dissent.

By shifting the narrative away from these urgent issues, some media outlets and political actors are enabling continued impunity and silencing the voices of the victims.

A Dangerous Misreading of the UK’s Role

The UK’s recent shift expressed through the Foreign Secretary’s endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan has emboldened pro-Moroccan narratives in British media. The article published in The Telegraph, for example, reflects language long recycled in Moroccan state media and now repurposed for Western audiences. It equates self-determination with terrorism and frames the Saharawi struggle for justice as a threat to regional security.

Such claims not only contradict decades of UN resolutions affirming the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination, but also put the United Kingdom at odds with the values it claims to uphold. Supporting one-sided narratives risks undermining the UN peace process and discrediting the very multilateral institutions that guarantee international peace and security.

It must be made clear: attacking the legitimacy of the Polisario Front is not only an attack on the Saharawi people it is also a challenge to the United Nations itself, which recognises and works with the Polisario as the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people. UN-accredited Polisario representatives engage regularly with the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and they hold diplomatic status comparable to other recognised liberation movements and state actors.

A Call for Scrutiny and Responsibility

At this critical moment, we urge the British government, parliamentarians, and media organisations to approach the issue of Western Sahara with caution, integrity, and a commitment to truth. The recent defamatory narratives must be independently investigated for accuracy, motivations, and potential foreign influence.

The UK’s foreign policy should not be guided by disinformation campaigns or lobbying efforts that seek to erase the legitimate aspirations of an occupied people. Instead, the UK must reaffirm its commitment to international law and human rights, and support a fair and democratic process that allows the Saharawi people to determine their own future through a free and fair referendum.

Adala UK will continue to defend the rights of the Saharawi people and counter disinformation that seeks to delegitimise their peaceful struggle. We call on the British government to remain vigilant in upholding the rule of law, scrutinising dangerous propaganda, and standing on the right side of history

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