Residents of Tindouf camps protest against insecurity and demand the resignation of Brahim Ghali

Severe security deterioration casts a shadow over the Tindouf camps

For the past week, the Tindouf camps have been experiencing a state of unprecedented insecurity, as parts of the camps have turned into battlegrounds for drug gangs, causing terror among women and children. According to reports from the region, armed confrontations breaking out during both day and night have led to a collapse in the morale of the population, who find themselves trapped in the absence of any effective intervention by the leadership.

Popular protests demand change

Faced with this situation, the wilaya of Laayoune, specifically the Dcheira and Guelta districts, saw protest vigils led by groups of women who expressed their outrage at what they described as the leadership’s failure to protect the population. During a gathering with the Polisario leadership, angry chants confronted the officials, demanding that they acknowledge their inability to ensure security; some voices even went as far as calling for the departure of Brahim Ghali, arguing that current measures offer no concrete solutions.

Official reactions and calls for protection

In response to these demands, the Polisario leadership’s reactions were described as “cold,” as they blamed families for the actions of their children—a stance the protesters view as an evasion of responsibility. Some female voices have demanded that the Algerian authorities be allowed to intervene and provide necessary protection to the residents, in light of what they call the failure of the current security system in the camps.

“Lip-service” measures and the risks of weapon proliferation

For its part, the leadership announced a series of administrative measures, such as imposing a night curfew and confiscating driver’s licenses—measures observers see as insufficient to confront armed gangs wielding war weapons. To clarify the scale of the disaster, reports pointed to the destruction of massive seizures, including over 43,000 hallucinogenic pills, quantities of cocaine and cannabis, and large amounts of firearm ammunition (Kalashnikov and PKM machine guns), confirming that the situation has escalated beyond normal lawlessness into a structural security crisis threatening entire generations in the camps.