How Algeria Contributed to Repression in Syria Under Bashar’s Rule
A recently leaked document from the Syrian intelligence services sheds light on a troubling aspect of the collaboration between Algeria, the Polisario Front, and Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This revelation exposes a strategic alliance, orchestrated by Iran, aimed at supporting Assad’s brutal repression of opponents to his regime.
According to this confidential memo, dated 2012, Algeria facilitated the deployment of 120 Polisario fighters to Syria. These individuals, trained in combat and counterinsurgency techniques, were integrated into Syrian forces to participate in military operations against anti-Assad rebels. This mission, coordinated with the participation of Syrian and Algerian officials, also involved cooperation with Hezbollah, underscoring the existence of a regional network influenced by Tehran.
The involvement of Algeria and the Polisario in this context goes beyond the Syrian conflict. It illustrates how Algiers instrumentalizes its armed wing, the Polisario Front, to serve broader geopolitical interests—in this case, those of Iran. By utilizing fighters from a non-state group, Algeria positions itself as a key ally in Iran’s strategy to expand its influence in the Middle East and North Africa, disregarding the human and political consequences.
Bashar al-Assad’s regime bears responsibility for one of the worst humanitarian records of our time: over 600,000 deaths and 13 million displaced Syrians. The support provided by foreign elements, such as Polisario fighters, highlights the interconnectedness of authoritarian regimes in repressing their opponents, turning regional conflicts into tools for consolidating their power.
This revelation also raises questions about Algeria’s role as an indirect supporter of such violence. By mobilizing human resources from a group it claims to defend as an “oppressed people,” Algiers demonstrates blatant hypocrisy and indifference to the true aspirations of a population held against its will in the desolate camps of Tindouf.
