Ibrahim Ghali widely tipped to succeed late Saharawi President Mohamed Abdelaziz

Representatives of various Algerian political parties, members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Algiers, former ministers, and even ordinary citizens, sympathizers with the Saharawi people’s cause, have been flocking over the past two days to the Embassy of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic in Algiers to offer their heart-felt condolences after the passing away of the Sahrawi President and Secretary General of the Polisario Front Mohamed Abdelaziz, whose funerals are slated for next Saturday, in Bir Lahlou in the liberated territories of Western Sahara.

Well-informed sources told “Echorouk” that one the potential candidates widely tipped to succeed the deceased after the 40-day transitional period, is Ibrahim Ghali, the first secretary-general of the Polisario Front, and former ambassador to Algeria, and who had previously held the post of Minister of Defense and Minister of the liberated territories and representative of the Polisario Front in Spain, in case he runs in the next election to be held by the upcoming 14th Polisario Front Congress.

The remains of the late Sahrawi president will be buried at Bir Lahlou in the liberated territories in the presence of members of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front, the government, the General Staff of the SPLA, the National Constitutional Council and the Saharawi advisory board office.

Earlier, the remains will be laying in state in a refugee camp to enable the Saharawi people, delegations and foreign personalities to take a last look in homage to the martyr of the Saharawi people, President Mohamed Abdelaziz.

Numerous delegations and foreign dignitaries are expected to attend this historic event of the struggle of the Saharawi people.

The Sahrawi president died Tuesday at the age of 68 after a long illness.

Moreover, the GS of the Polisario Front continues to receive messages of condolences from heads of states, political parties, political organizations, unions and supporters of the Saharawi cause from around the world. 

“The General Secretariat of the Polisario Front is committed to making further sacrifices and remaining firmly united until the final triumph of the Sahrawi people’s legitimate cause”, the Polisario Front said in a communiqué.

“The deceased left an important legacy of outstanding assets and achievements and a firm willingness and determination to pursue resolutely the pro-independence struggle until triumph,” it added.

“The Sahrawi people, wherever they are, must draw their strength from the lofty values of national unity and cohesion enshrined by the foresight and ingenuity of martyr Mohamed Abdelaziz, as the only guarantors of the freedom and self-determination of the Sahrawi people away from the long-running Moroccan occupation, under the leadership of their legitimate representative, namely the Polisario Front,” the communiqué finally underscored.