The Sahrawi people in Tindouf camps, managed by the Polisario Front, continue to endure harsh living conditions. Recent events have brought attention to the management of international humanitarian aid and the legitimacy of Polisario's leadership. Allegations of financial malversations and growing social unrest have led to major challenges for the movement.
The misappropriation of humanitarian aid has been a longstanding concern for international donors. Official reports, including those from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), have consistently highlighted mechanisms of diversion and reorientation of food, medicine, and logistical equipment. Some of the aid, funded by the European Union and various assistance associations, is allegedly diverted into informal circuits benefiting Polisario's control structures.
This opaque management has sparked protests abroad, including in Italy, where Sahrawi activists and independent information platforms have publicly questioned Fatima Mahfoud, the local representative of Polisario, over a lack of transparency in allocating funds for medical assistance and children's programs. Critics argue that resources are being used to maintain the organization's cadres rather than directly benefiting camp inhabitants.
A large-scale financial scandal further eroded the credibility of Polisario's leadership in September 2026. Protests erupted in Rabouni and Chahid El Hafed camps following the collapse of "Infravest for Contracting and Investment," a company led by Sallamou Abba Ali, who is now in hiding. The company's Ponzi scheme-like operations resulted in an estimated loss of 886 million Algerian dinars (approximately $6.6 million) and significant amounts in Mauritanian ouguiyas.
The lack of regulation and impunity enjoyed by the company within a heavily militarized area raises questions about the complicity or negligence of high-ranking officials. This has led to a significant breakdown of trust between the popular base and its leaders. The social and economic deterioration occurs amidst evolving international legal contexts, including a recent Spanish law granting nationality to Sahrawis born during the colonial period and their descendants.
In response to the crisis and the severe repression of protests by Polisario fighters, calls are mounting for the European Union and UN agencies to impose a formal census of the population, direct control over aid distribution, and independent audits of financial flows. The situation highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of humanitarian aid and the governance of the Tindouf camps.
The Polisario Front faces increasing scrutiny over its management of humanitarian aid and its legitimacy as a leader of the Sahrawi people. With growing dissent and allegations of corruption, the movement must address these concerns to regain the trust of its people and the international community. The international community, in turn, must ensure that humanitarian aid reaches its intended beneficiaries and that those responsible for aid misappropriation are held accountable.
Key points
- The Tindouf camps face dire living conditions and allegations of humanitarian aid misappropriation.
- A large-scale financial scandal has further eroded the credibility of Polisario's leadership.
- Calls are mounting for greater transparency and accountability in the management of humanitarian aid and the governance of the Tindouf camps.
