The Moroccan Sahara Issue Occupies the Reception of "Pope Leo" in the Algerian Capital

The recent official reception of Pope Francis in Algiers has become a focal point for the ongoing diplomatic struggle over the Western Sahara. Algeria's decision to include Khadri Adouh, a representative of the Polisario Front, in the welcoming ceremony alongside government officials and diplomats, has been interpreted as a deliberate attempt to elevate the separatist movement's profile.

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the inclusion of the front's representative in an official reception of a religious nature reflects a systematic approach to exploiting official spaces to grant superficial legitimacy to an entity that lacks international recognition.

This calculated move, placing the "representative of Tindouf in Algiers" at the forefront of greeting the Pope, is seen by observers as a strategic effort to imbue the Polisario Front with a sense of official legitimacy. By leveraging high-profile international events, particularly those involving globally influential institutions like the Vatican, Algeria aims to promote the separatist entity and generate symbolic political capital in the diplomatic arena.

Ramadan Masoud Al-Arabi, president of the Sahrawi Association of Victims of the Polisario in Madrid, criticizes this approach, stating that it reflects a systematic effort to grant superficial legitimacy to a group lacking international recognition. He argues that such practices are more about propaganda than genuine shifts in international stances.

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this falls within propaganda movements rather than expressing real shifts in international positions.

Similarly, Aba Al-Sheikh Baali, a researcher in international relations, views the inclusion of an internationally unrecognized actor in a sovereign reception as a manifestation of "suggestion diplomacy." This strategy, he explains, seeks to create political impressions through protocol and imagery, bypassing legal channels and explicit recognition. The choice of an event tied to the Vatican, with its global spiritual and media reach, is intended to maximize the symbolic and political impact, despite its lack of legal or diplomatic foundation.

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the Algerian regime's use of internationally prominent events, especially those linked to global spiritual weight, aims to influence international public opinion by creating politically interpretable protocol images, without any recognized legal or diplomatic basis.

While Algeria may seek to influence international opinion, experts like Al-Arabi and Baali emphasize that such maneuvers have limited effect on the conflict's trajectory. International actors, especially major religious institutions, tend to remain neutral to preserve their credibility. Ultimately, the resolution of the Western Sahara dispute remains anchored in UN frameworks and political settlement processes, rather than symbolic gestures.

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the inclusion of an internationally unrecognized actor in official ceremonies of a sovereign nature falls within what is known in academic literature as 'suggestion diplomacy,' where political impressions are sought through images and protocol positioning, without going through legal channels or explicit recognition.