Skip to main content

Western Sahara: Moroccan escalation, role of Mauritania and challenges of the Tindouf–Zouerate road

On October 23, 2025, Brahim Ghali, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Secretary-General of the POLISARIO Front, denounced a new Moroccan escalation in Western Sahara: the construction of a 93-kilometer road linking Smara to Mauritania, crossing the sand wall erected by Morocco since the 1980s. According to the UN Secretary-General’s report (S/2025/612), this road constitutes a “second passage” to Mauritania, alongside the Guerguerat corridor.

In a letter addressed to António Guterres, Ghali described the initiative as a “provocative and escalatory measure,” recalling the precedent of Guerguerat in 2016. According to the POLISARIO Front, the “civilian” justification put forward by Rabat hides a political and military logic: every infrastructure south of the wall reinforces the occupation and creates facts on the ground.

A Strategic Moroccan Road Under Civilian Cover

The route from Smara to Bir Moghrein crosses the liberated zone and connects the occupied territory to Mauritania, strengthening Moroccan control and facilitating the transit of goods and vehicles. As with Guerguerat, the road is presented as a civilian project, but its political and military purpose is clear: to normalize the occupation and open new logistical corridors to West Africa.

International silence in the face of this violation of international law — while the European Court of Justice has reaffirmed that Morocco has no sovereignty over Western Sahara — encourages Morocco to continue its policy of creating facts on the ground.

Mauritania: Implicit Complicity or Strategic Choice?

The new corridor also raises questions about Mauritania’s role. Officially neutral in the conflict, Nouakchott included the Bir Moghrein border post in a decree listing the “authorized entry points” for 2025. If confirmed, this move appears to be an implicit alignment with Morocco, effectively legitimizing the occupation and contradicting the African Union’s doctrine, which recognizes the SADR as a full member.

For Algeria and the POLISARIO Front, this posture is concerning: it paves the way for Moroccan expansion in the Sahel-Saharan region and undermines Algerian and Sahrawi logistical corridors, while making Mauritania complicit in a destabilization strategy at the expense of the Sahrawi people and Algerian interests.

The Tindouf–Zouerate Road: An Algerian Economic Instrument

In parallel, Algeria has invested nearly one billion dollars to build a strategic road linking Tindouf to Zouerate in Mauritania. Unlike Moroccan projects, this infrastructure has a clearly economic purpose: to strengthen Algerian exports to West Africa and secure national logistical corridors.

Algeria will under no circumstances allow Moroccan trucks to use this road, and ensures that its funding serves exclusively its economic and strategic interests, guaranteeing full control over transit and commercial activities in this sensitive area.

A Multi-Level Escalation

The opening of the Smara–Mauritania corridor reflects a logic similar to that of Guerguerat: build first, justify later. Each road or border post becomes a tool of gradual occupation, consolidating Moroccan presence in a territory recognized as non-autonomous and awaiting decolonization.

Faced with this reality, Algeria must protect its strategic and economic interests while supporting the Sahrawi people. The billion-dollar investment in the Tindouf–Zouerate road is not just a development project: it is a tool of economic and regional sovereignty, ensuring that Algerian corridors are never used to legitimize Moroccan ambitions.

Conclusion

The Smara–Mauritania road is not a mere civilian project, but a political act aimed at consolidating Moroccan occupation, with Mauritania’s implicit complicity. Algeria, on the other hand, invests to strengthen its exports and strategic presence in the Sahel-Saharan region. Every corridor traced by Algiers is strictly controlled and exclusively intended to serve national interests.

This conflict over roads reveals a strategic confrontation between occupation and sovereignty, where each kilometer of asphalt reflects major geopolitical stakes and the need for Algeria to protect its interests against Moroccan ambitions and regional complacency.

By Belgacem Merbah


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Fall of the Rafale: A Russian Report Unveils Pakistan’s Silent Aerial Supremacy

A recently released Russian report sheds critical light on the underlying causes of the Indian Air Force’s setback in a high-stakes aerial encounter with Pakistan. At the heart of this analysis lies a stark conclusion: Pakistan’s integration of advanced airborne surveillance and missile systems—particularly the Saab 2000 Erieye—enabled it to outmaneuver and ambush Indian Rafale jets without warning, and with surgical precision. Saab 2000 Erieye: The Eye That Sees All At the core of Pakistan’s aerial strategy is the Saab 2000 Erieye, an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft of Swedish origin. Pakistan currently operates a fleet of nine such aircraft, equipped with the Erieye AESA radar—a cutting-edge system with a detection range of up to 450 kilometers, a combat radius of 3,700 kilometers, and an endurance of nearly 9.5 hours. This high-altitude sentinel offers a formidable command-and-control platform, allowing Pakistan to orchestrate engagements from a distance, wit...
3 comments
Read more

U.S.-Algeria Relations: Prospects under a Trump Administration and Strategies to Curb Russian Influence

This article examines the prospects of a Trump administration toward Algeria, focusing on the role of American economic interests and recommendations from influential U.S. think tanks advocating for a strategic rapprochement with Algeria. In a context of heightened geopolitical competition, several American research institutions are encouraging strengthened ties with Algeria to curb Russian influence in North Africa. This article explores the economic, political, and strategic implications of such a potential rapprochement and its impact on U.S. foreign policy. Algeria occupies a strategic position in North Africa, thanks to its abundant natural resources and historical ties with several world powers, including Russia. These relations have sparked the interest of American think tanks, which recommend a more active engagement policy toward Algeria to limit Russian influence in the region. This article examines the implications of these recommendations and analyzes how a Trump administra...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Defection of Mehdi Hajaoui: A Major Blow to Moroccan Intelligence and Its Global Repercussions

The case of Mehdi Hajaoui , former number two in Morocco's Directorate General for Studies and Documentation ( DGED , the country’s foreign intelligence agency), is shaking the security and diplomatic landscape. According to the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial , Hajaoui fled Morocco to France , where he reportedly faced threats and harassment . He later moved to Spain , only to disappear mysteriously , fearing extradition to Morocco or assassination by Moroccan intelligence operatives. His escape has raised serious concerns about the future of Moroccan intelligence operations and diplomatic relations. Who is Mehdi Hajaoui? Mehdi Hajaoui was a high-ranking intelligence official , serving as the Deputy Director of the DGED under Yassine Mansouri , a close associate of King Mohammed VI. His position gave him access to highly sensitive intelligence , including: Covert Moroccan operations abroad , Secret relations between Rabat and its international allies , particularly Israel, The...
Post a Comment
Read more