The Polisario Front has "strongly" condemned the "lies" and "distortions" that, in its opinion, were launched by the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Naser Burita, in his speech before the 81st United Nations General Assembly. During his speech, Burita defended that the situation in Western Sahara is at "a historic turning point" following the resolution approved nearly a year ago by the UN Security Council regarding the autonomy plan promoted by Rabat for the territory.
In this regard, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) has pointed out that Burita's address, "with its lies, distortions, and attempts to misrepresent the facts about the international status of Western Sahara," constitutes "a continuation of the Moroccan regime's usual tactic of diverting internal public attention from its deep structural crisis."
The Sahrawi authorities have emphasized that the head of Moroccan diplomacy "is trying to deceive the member states (of the UN) by offering a distorted and selective interpretation of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, considering that, beyond any interpretation or speculation, the Security Council did not recognize any 'sovereignty' of the occupying Moroccan power over the occupied Western Sahara nor stipulated that Morocco's expansionist proposal is the only basis for resolving the conflict."
In this regard, they have stressed that the resolution, in which the plan presented by Rabat is considered "the most viable solution" to the conflict, is based on "three fundamental elements." Among them, that any solution to the dispute "must be compatible with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter"; "must be acceptable to both parties," and "must guarantee the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara."
For this reason, they have reiterated that "the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence is an inalienable and non-negotiable right" and have added that the SADR "is a consolidated and irreversible national, regional, and international reality," as reported by the Sahrawi news agency SPS.
"It is time for the Moroccan regime to understand that neither it nor those who support it can reverse the course of history," they stated in their note, in which they also emphasize that "the Sahrawi people will continue their liberation struggle with firmness and determination until they achieve their goals of freedom, independence, and the restoration of sovereignty over all the territory of the SADR."
The statement is released after Burita defended before the UN that resolution 2797, approved in October 2025, has made "this regional dispute embark on an irreversible course, breaking with the past and looking to the future with a view to its definitive resolution," and then emphasized that "this path is based on principles and parameters that do not allow any interpretation regarding lines or margins, as some attempt in vain, deceiving themselves and distancing themselves from reality."
In this regard, the minister maintained that the text establishes that "there is no solution within the framework of autonomy, under Moroccan sovereignty" and that "there is no mechanism outside the political negotiation process under the auspices of the UN, and only based on one foundation, the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco." This reading is rejected by the Polisario Front, which maintains the holding of an independence referendum as an essential condition.
In recent years, the Polisario Front has faced several diplomatic setbacks due to the support of various countries, including Spain, for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco, a formula that the SADR completely dismisses within its demand to complete the decolonization of Western Sahara and ensure its right to independence.
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara was occupied by Morocco in 1975, despite the armed resistance of the Polisario Front. The conflict led to a war that lasted until 1991, when both parties agreed to a ceasefire with the aim of organizing a referendum on self-determination. However, disagreements over the preparation of the electoral roll and the inclusion or exclusion of Moroccan settlers have so far prevented the holding of such a consultation.