فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Rabat, Morocco – DW Arabic broadcast an audio-visual report on May 29, 2025, titled “A Historical Look at the Journey of Polisario Fighters to Syria,” as part of its “DW Evening” program. The report shed light on the transfer of fighters from the Polisario Front to Syria to support Bashar al-Assad’s regime during the Syrian civil war. It points to historical ties between the Polisario and Damascus dating back to the Cold War era, and alleges Algerian-Iranian coordination in this regard.
Report Content and Historical Relations:
The DW report details that Polisario fighters were sent to Syria with coordination between Algeria and Iran. According to the report, these fighters received intensive military training under the supervision of Iranian advisors, including a prominent Iranian military advisor who later died. It is mentioned that these fighters participated in operations to support the Assad regime against opposition factions during the Syrian conflict.
The report links this alleged involvement to the close relations between Syria and the Polisario, as Damascus provided political support to the Front since the 1970s, including official recognition of the so-called “Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic” in 1980. It suggests that this support was part of a broader regional strategy that included cooperation with Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah. The report also highlights Algeria’s role in facilitating the transfer of Polisario fighters to Syria, with logistical and financial support from Iran, which allegedly used its networks in Syria to train these fighters and integrate them into military operations.
Conflicting Narratives: Polisario Denial and Moroccan Confirmation:
In contrast, a prominent diplomat from the Polisario Front, Abi Bouchraya Al-Bachir, denied any involvement of the Front’s fighters in Syria in a previous video (published by Mezrat Network on February 13, 2025), considering these allegations part of a “Moroccan campaign to tarnish the movement’s reputation.” Other sources, such as a report by Al-Quds Al-Arabi, also suggested that these allegations might be exaggerated, ruling out the presence of large numbers of Polisario fighters in Syria.
Conversely, Moroccan reports confirm the Polisario’s involvement in Syria, citing leaked documents and investigative reports published by international newspapers such as “The Washington Post” and “Jeune Afrique.” These reports affirm that hundreds of Polisario fighters were arrested by the new Syrian authorities after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
Political and Regional Context:
This report is presented within the context of the ongoing regional political dispute between Morocco and Algeria and the fabricated issue of the Moroccan Sahara, where these allegations are used in the artificial diplomatic conflict. It is indicated that Algeria’s support for the Polisario and the Assad regime was part of a strategy to counter Moroccan influence in the region.
While the DW report relies on documents and investigative reports, the Polisario’s denial and the skepticism from other sources are merely an attempt to evade what documented facts on the ground have proven.
Source: Fes News website
