Polisario Prince

Western Sahara: 10 things to know about… Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, Polisario rising star

By Nina Kozlowski

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Posted on May 25, 2023 11:07

On 10 May, the Polisario Front, the ruling party of the disputed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), celebrated its 50th anniversary. While Tindouf, a city in southern Algeria that hosts thousands of Sahrawi refugees was preparing for the festivities, the open succession of President Ghali was on everyone’s mind. What if Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, the last of the Abdelaziz dynasty, was the most likely heir?

“This year, the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Polisario Front takes place in a particular context: the resumption of the armed struggle,” said Bouchraya Hamoudi Bayoune, prime minister of SADR and chairman of the national committee in charge of organising the festivities. In doing so, however, Bayoune neglected a key topic: the open succession of Brahim Ghali; and for good reason.

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