An internal crisis has unfolded within the "Polisario" Front following the disappearance of humanitarian aid from the Spanish region of Aragón. The scandal involves the Front's representative in the region and the brother of a prominent leader, according to well-informed sources speaking to Assahifa Arabic
The case concerns the embezzlement of medical equipment, including two ultrasound machines, which had been donated for the Tindouf camps but ended up in private clinics in Algeria.
The main suspect is Abidine Bouchraya, the "Polisario" representative in Catalonia, who received the equipment funded by Spanish associations and was tasked with transporting it. However, the equipment vanished at the port of Oran, and was later sold with the involvement of his brother, Hamoudi Beyoun Bouchraya, the "Prime Minister" of the Front.
This has caused a major crisis within the "Polisario" Front, particularly as Beyoun is one of its top leaders and has close ties to the Algerian authorities, while Abidine Bouchraya is responsible for fundraising in Catalonia.
This incident confirms what was previously revealed in an investigation published by Assahifa about the "Tindouf Billionaires," which documented how humanitarian aid was diverted for personal gain or to fund arms purchases.
The "Polisario" Front enjoys support in Spain from separatist parties such as "Podemos" and the "Sumar" coalition, with Catalonia's backing particularly prominent through the "Republican Left" party, which holds strong parliamentary representation.
Party members actively support the Front's activities in Barcelona and Girona, especially through fundraising campaigns and facilitating funding from local municipalities.
In Barcelona, the "Polisario" Front exploits the status of Sahrawi refugees to obtain financial grants, particularly from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation, with the municipality having approved financial support of 74,000 euros for pro-Polisario associations.
