The Sahrawi Movement for Peace (SMP), a dissident group from the Polisario Front, is calling on the United Nations to put an end to the killing of Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps by the Algerian army. «We express our deep concern over the alarming deterioration of security in the Sahrawi refugee camps on Algerian soil», the SMP stated in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. «Another tragedy has struck our people: two young Sahrawis were coldly shot dead by Algerian soldiers. Unfortunately, these acts of violence are not isolated incidents. Sahrawis living in the camps regularly endure shootings, intimidation, and brutal repression by Algerian forces», the letter lamented. Faced with what it describes as a humanitarian and security emergency, the SMP is urging the United Nations and MINURSO to intervene immediately to ensure the protection of Sahrawi civilians in the camps. The movement also calls on the international community, human rights organizations, and the media to break their silence and denounce these acts of violence. The SMP reiterated its long-standing request to be included in future discussions on Western Sahara, arguing that it is a peaceful and moderate movement representing a significant portion of the Sahrawi population—one that aspires to a negotiated political solution, far removed from the violent methods of the Polisario Front. According to the SMP, the latest killings occurred last week, when the Algerian army, stationed in the Tindouf camps, shot and killed three Sahrawis: two gold prospectors from the Oulad Dlim tribe, and a third man from the Rguibates-Bouihates tribe, who was shot inside his own tent.
