The Polisario Front has issued a stern warning regarding the proposed opening of a new commercial crossing between Morocco and Mauritania. In a statement by Bachir Mustapha Sayed, the Front has threatened the Mauritanian authorities, urging them to oppose the establishment of these routes. Sayed emphasized that «Mauritania could put an end to this plan, provided it opposes the opening» of the crossing. He further warned that if the plan proceeds, «the Saharawis' borders will become Moroccan borders. This would involve Mauritania in a war», highlighting the potential for increased regional tension. This official statement from Mustapha Bachir Sayed lends weight to the numerous messages circulating on social media from Polisario supporters who are against the creation of a road linking Es-Smara to Mauritania. The threats from Sayed, who is the brother of the Polisario's founder, are not isolated incidents. In December 2019, during a meeting in Tifariti with Mauritanian parties, Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario, cautioned that Mauritania «would be the first state impacted by any tension between Morocco and the Polisario due to the length of its borders» with the Sahara. Similarly, in October 2020, Abdellah Lahbib Bellal, the former «Minister for Security» who passed away in August 2021, conveyed a comparable message. Amidst a blockade of the El Guerguerate crossing by Polisario elements, Bellal told a Mauritanian media outlet that «Mauritania's interest» lay in fostering direct relations with the Polisario and maintaining «good neighborly relations».
