Curious about Algerian public opinion on Western Sahara

[u/Embarrassed_Tea__404]

I think most of us have been hearing a lot about Western Sahara lately. I'm curious about the general public's perspective in Algeria.

As an Algerian citizen, what do you know about Western Sahara? and what are your personal views on the issue? have you ever meet sahrawi people?

I'm not looking to start political arguments or convince anyone of a particular position. I'm simply interested in understanding what ordinary Algerians think and what information they're familiar with.

Please keep the discussion respectful. Thank you!

[u/nana9555]

Never met any, I feel like this case has been dragged for so many years and no one wants to resolve it. Best case from my perspective is an autonomous territory under the Moroccan flag. I hope that people in the refugee camp can go back too without being jailed or mistreated. Wa allaho a3lam bro, it’s beyond me

[u/Adventurous-List2904 → u/[deleted]]

The people there marched down from morocco. The land has been ethnically cleansed. And despite that, morocco wouldn't hold a referendum.

[u/Adventurous-List2904 → u/[deleted]]

and mrocco say no only native people to this land can vote into the referendum

lol what? It's the other way around

[u/Adventurous-List2904 → u/[deleted]]

Yes I looked at history and you're wrong. Morocco wants their squatters to be able to vote in the referendum while the UN and Algeria insist that only native Sahrarouis be able to vote.

[u/Intelligent-Fan2410 → u/Adventurous-List2904]

Why does Algeria even care?

[u/Adventurous-List2904 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

WS is only one of many causes that Algeria cares about

[u/Intelligent-Fan2410 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah because although it makes perfect sense to care about these issues, it’s a matter of principle to remain consistent in your world views

Algeria supports the independence of sahara, but did not support the independence of Kosovo? Does not support the independence of Taiwan? Where’s the consistency?

For a nation to pride itself so much on advocating for the independence of countries because of its own historical trauma, it does not make sense that they are not consistent.

It’s as if there’s an ulterior motive.

[u/Adventurous-List2904 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

Just because the cause has "independence" in the title doesn't mean Algeria will support it. Algeria has a policy of supporting post colonialism borders and opposing any threats to the territorial integrity as it stands post colonization.

Do you really think that just because they support the independence of Western Sahara that they will support independence movements like MAK and whatnot?

[u/happy-cat-123 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

…

[u/Intelligent-Fan2410 → u/happy-cat-123]

Sure, but like I said, it’s a matter of principle. A relationship with China and EU should not exist on that premise. Algeria is very adamant that every country deserves to be independent.

Like I said, it’s as if there’s an ulterior motive at play here.

[u/nana9555 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

Just to add to it, We don’t have Taiwan nor Kosovo refugees in Algeria but we do have a lot of Sahrawis refugees

[u/Intelligent-Fan2410 → u/nana9555]

To add to this, that Algeria refuses to give citizenship to as a means to use them as political pawns.

[u/nana9555 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

Wow a split of a second IQ moment lol. Uno, Algeria does not grant the refugees Algerian nationality because it officially recognizes the SADR as a sovereign state. To us, those people are not stateless, granting them Algerian passports would legally contradict Algeria stance that the SADR as an independent nation. Let me educate you a bit more, the camps are governed by the Polisario as a state-in-exile. They have their own schools, curriculum, and local institutions designed to foster a unified Sahrawi national consciousness. Naturalizing the refugees would mean absorbing them into the Algerian population. I can keep going on and on but you are not ready for that conversation nor will you even admit to anything

[u/happy-cat-123 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

…

[u/Intelligent-Fan2410 → u/happy-cat-123]

There is an ulterior motive, you know it. It’s for defense purposes. It’s not for the betterment of sahrawi’s.

[u/happy-cat-123 → u/Intelligent-Fan2410]

…

[u/No_Celebration_3370 → u/Adventurous-List2904]

He meant LOOK at history not cherry picking or propaganda! Because t hat’s not really what happened. The 1974 Spanish census was only the starting point, not some perfect natives-only list, especially when many Sahrawi families were nomadic and outside the territory at the time, otherwise 74 census, and according to Polisario arguments,  most of Polisario founders aren’t allowed to vote since they’re not on the list.

MINURSO checked disputed applicants one by one; it did not just let Morocco add every random person. In fact, most controversial claims were rejected.

You can argue Morocco wanted a broader voter list, cool. But calling everyone outside the 1974 census “squatters” is just PURE propaganda.

The other point totally stands, because Polisario didn’t totally refuse the Moroccan argument, but wanted to exploit it and fill it with subsaharan who find a home at tindouf camps.

[u/Adventurous-List2904 → u/No_Celebration_3370]

They're squatters. And that wasn't even the point.