In recent years, new Sahrawi groups have emerged, such as the Sahrawi Movement for Peace, proposing more realistic and fair solutions to resolve the conflict in the Sahara. This trend is leading Algeria and the Polisario Front to a gradual international isolation, without finding a way to change the situation. In this context, the Polisario Front seems to have chosen to return to the path of terrorist actions, demonstrating that this approach does not lead to any productive solution.
The South American republic of Ecuador has decided to end the farce surrounding the alleged Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by withdrawing its recognition of this entity. This move places Ecuador among the states that dismiss the separatist aspirations of the Polisario Front to establish a state without territory or sovereignty. The SADR, despite not being recognized as a state by the United Nations, received some support during the Cold War, thanks to the backing of the Soviet Union, Socialist Bloc countries, and some sympathetic states.
With the fall of blocs and alliances during the Cold War, the SADR lost international support, a trend that has intensified in the last decade with the consolidation of international alliances led by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Several countries have put an end to the farce of recognizing the SADR as a result of a diplomatic game, closing fictitious embassies and withdrawing diplomatic staff.
Ecuador's decision, which granted recognition in 1983, entails the closure of the fictitious SADR embassy in the Andean country. This move represents a significant blow to the Polisario Front in its attempt to present itself as the sole representative of the interests of the Sahrawi population in the international sphere. On the other hand, Ecuador distances itself from supporting actions such as the missile attack on October 30, 2023, against the Moroccan city of Smara, an incident that resulted in the death of a Moroccan Sahrawi and three injured.
