The Polisario Front claims to have caused fatalities in Morocco and "considerable material losses", through four bombings carried out on four military bases (among them, those of Mahbes, Hauza, Auserd) and two surveillance posts, according to the Saharawi organization through a statement issued at dawn from Friday to Saturday.
In addition, the secretary general of the Polisario Front and president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Bahim Ghali, announced this Saturday that he considers the ceasefire signed with Morocco in 1991 broken, and held that country responsible for the consequences of the conflict around the Guerguerat border crossing.
In a statement, Ghali assures that the Saharawi armed forces assume control of national security and declare a state of war.
The situation in Western Sahara saw the most violent moment on Friday since both sides signed a ceasefire under the supervision of the UN in 1991. Moroccan army forces dissolved a protest by Sahrawi civilians that they had been closed since October 21 the road that connects Western Sahara with Morocco.
The Moroccan army indicates that at no time did it come into contact with civilians, but both parties acknowledge that during the eviction operation they exchanged shots, without initially registering any injuries.
Morocco does not recognize casualties for now
Rabat has not recognized any fatal casualties so far.
A source from the Polisario Front pointed out: “Morocco will not recognize that we are at war or that they have suffered fatal casualties.
They will only recognize it when we enter some of their military bases.
Morocco never acknowledged that we had 4,000 of its soldiers imprisoned during the war we had [1976-1991].
And his military who were imprisoned have never recognized the rights ”.
Regarding the disproportion between the two sides, the aforementioned source pointed out: “We are aware.
We have never denied that they are much more powerful than us.
But the wall they built in the desert works in our favor.
Because the wall forces them to entrench themselves.
And that position gives us the advantage of setting the rhythm of the offensive ”.
While the Polisario Front openly points out that war has broken out in Western Sahara 29 years after the ceasefire was sealed, Rabat does not express itself in the same terms.
The Moroccan General Staff indicated in a statement on Friday afternoon that before the shots received from the Polisario Front, its forces decided to respond and caused the “militiamen” to flee.
Likewise, the Moroccan military assures that they built a security cordon in the demilitarized zone of Guerguerat, which leads to Mauritania, to preserve the transit of goods and civilians.
The Moroccan authorities did not provide information on how long they will remain in that area, which in principle is only reserved for civilians.
