Letter from Belgacem Merbah to the brotherly Sahrawi people

To the proud and indomitable Sahrawi people,

I write to you as the grandson of an officer of the National Liberation Army, the grandson of an Algerian hero who defied General Bigeard in the heights of Djebel Amour. In my veins runs the pride of martyrs and the flame of revolution. From the heart of Algeria—the land of sacrifice and the refuge of free men—I send you a message that is not mere words, but a cry of brotherhood, loyalty, and defiance.

What unfolds today in the corridors of the United Nations is no surprise to those who know the history of great powers and the cynical twists of international politics. The forces of colonialism have never ceased to reinvent themselves, clinging to the same spirit of domination, imposing their vision at the expense of the rights of peoples.

We Algerians know what oppression means. One hundred and thirty-two years of colonization did not break our will. We resisted, generation after generation, in the mountains, the cities, and the deserts. Our independence was wrested at the cost of blood, suffering, and unity. Never did we accept submission; never did we bargain with our dignity.

Today, it is you, Sahrawi people, who must hold high the torch of freedom. You face the same forces, the same schemes, the same attempts to erase your identity. But remember: history has never forgiven the weak, nor forgotten those who persevered and sacrificed.

The Qur’an reminds us with force:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

[Al-Imran: 200]

“O you who believe! Be steadfast, excel in steadfastness, stand firm, and fear God so that you may succeed.”

(Al-Imran, 200)

This divine word was the light of our revolution; today, it must guide your struggle. Victory is never granted—it is conquered through patience, determination, and unity.

Never allow doubt or discouragement to infiltrate your ranks. Believe in your cause, strengthen your institutions, unite your voices. Algeria stands with you wholeheartedly, faithful to its principles and to the spirit of November. As we triumphed after 132 years of colonial darkness, so too will you prevail—if you remain united and true to your right.

You are not alone. Algeria and all the free peoples of the world are with you, until the light of freedom rises over your land.

Long live the proud and free Sahrawi Republic,

Long live Algeria, faithful to its martyrs,

And eternal glory to the peoples who refuse to bow!

Belgacem Merbah