A forum on terrorism held in Spain’s Canary Islands has reignited criticism of the Polisario Front, with victims’ groups and activists urging a reassessment of its status and greater accountability for attacks attributed to the movement.
The event, titled “First Forum on Terrorism in the Canary Islands: Global Terrorism and Extremism,” placed a strong spotlight on incidents dating back to the 1970s and early 1980s, with participants arguing that the legacy of terrorism linked to the Polisario Front has not been adequately addressed within Spain’s legal and political frameworks.
The forum, organized by the Spanish Association of Victims of Terrorism (AVT) in partnership with the Official College of Psychology of Las Palmas, brought together legal experts, activists and victims, many of whom stressed that the issue has long been overlooked despite official recognition of some victims by Spanish authorities.
Speakers at the forum pointed to a series of attacks attributed to the Polisario Front following Spain’s withdrawal from the Moroccan Sahara, including kidnappings of Spanish personnel, assaults on installations and attacks targeting Canary Islands fishing vessels.
Miguel Folguera, an adviser to the victims’ association, said these terrorist attacks had left a lasting impact on Spanish citizens, particularly in the Canary Islands, where collective memory of the attacks remains significant.
Participants argued that targeting civilians and economic assets warrants a more rigorous legal and political reassessment of the group’s status.
The forum saw repeated calls to classify the Polisario as terrorist with rights activists cited testimonies, historical documentation and administrative decisions recognizing certain victims as victims of terrorism as evidence that the issue requires broader institutional debate.
Fadel Ould Mahdi Ould Abreika, a participant at the forum, said the discussion reflected mounting frustration among victims’ advocates, who argue that the Polisario Front has escaped the level of scrutiny applied to other groups linked to similar acts.
Much of the discussion focused on the need to prioritize victims’ rights over political considerations. Participants stressed that recognition, compensation and justice should not be overshadowed by the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding the Western Sahara dispute.
Gilberto Pérez, AVT’s representative in the Canary Islands, said the forum aimed to give victims a stronger voice and to ensure their experiences are not marginalized.
