Supporters of the Polisario Front in Mauritania are raising concerns over the country's growing ties with Morocco. Following the recent signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding on electricity and renewable energies, the Union of Progressive Forces (UFP) has cautioned against Mauritania aligning with Morocco's stance on the Sahara issue. In a statement released yesterday, the UFP expressed that «these projects lack realism because they neglect the Sahara conflict, which we fear could be a prelude to our involvement in a conflict from which we have withdrawn for decades, and to the abandonment of our position of positive neutrality and recognition of the right of the brotherly Saharan people to autonomy and self-determination». «We denounce the disgraceful and insulting measure taken by the Minister of Energy and the Mauritanian government, as it represents a flagrant violation of the credibility and dignity of our country and the position of positive neutrality in the Sahara conflict», declared the left-wing party, which currently holds no seats in Parliament. The UFP urged the authorities in Nouakchott «to withdraw from these suspicious agreements» with Morocco. This is not the first instance where the Union of Progressive Forces has supported Polisario's positions in Mauritania, a nation that has recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) since 1984. The party has been actively participating in the Front's congresses and, in December 2022, condemned drone strikes by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) that reportedly targeted Mauritanian gold miners in the area east of the Mur des Sables.
