Algeria has rushed to force the Polisario into making some leadership changes, including the dismissal of senior figures overseeing its militia and political structures, amid growing international scrutiny of the separatist movement and calls in the US congress and the senate to classify the Algerian proxy militia as a terrorist group.
The reshuffle affected around 20 positions across the Polisario’s militia command, its self-declared government and the inner circle of leader Brahim Ghali.
The changes come as Algerian authorities face pressure linked to a push by a growing number of US senators and congressmen to advance legislation that would classify the Polisario as a terrorist organization.
Analysts say the prospect of such a designation prompted Algeria’s military leadership to instruct the Polisario to sideline figures who have publicly called for violence in recent years, particularly against targets in the Moroccan Sahara.
Among those dismissed were militia chief Mohamed El Ouali Akeik and Mustapha Sidi Ali El Bachir, who headed the so‑called ministry for the “occupied zones” and diaspora affairs.
Akeik, who had served as chief of staff since 2021, had called in May 2022 for attacks inside the Sahara. El Bachir made similar calls in May 2025, urging violence against American, European and Chinese companies operating in the region.
Despite the removals, discontent has reportedly grown inside the Polisario’s refugee camps, where critics accuse the leadership of preserving tribal dominance rather than undertaking genuine reform. Protests are planned this weekend outside the movement’s headquarters in Rabouni after Ghali created a bespoke “minister‑counsellor” role for Akeik, rather than fully sidelining him.
Akeik has been replaced by Hamma Salama, a senior figure seen as close to Algeria’s military establishment. Salama, 76, has previously led two Polisario military regions and has been received by top Algerian civilian and military officials since late 2023, underscoring Algiers’ influence over the movement.
The changes also follow Algeria’s recent announcement of a new doctrine of “diplomatic pragmatism,” unveiled through the army‑backed magazine El Djeich, suggesting a tactical recalibration rather than a fundamental shift in policy toward the Polisario.
