The foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) are conducted by the Polisario Front, which maintains a network of representation offices and embassies in foreign countries.
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the government in exile claiming sovereignty of the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara. The Polisario Front, the national liberation movement that administers the SADR, currently controls the area that it calls the Liberated Territories, a strip of Western Sahara territory east of the Moroccan Wall. It also administers the Sahrawi refugee camps at Tindouf, Algeria, where its headquarters are. It has conducted diplomatic relations with states and international organisations since its inception in 1976. In 1966, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 22/29 affirmed for the first time the Sahrawi right to self-determination. In 1979, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 34/37 reaffirmed the right of the Western Sahara people to self-determination and independence, recognising also the Polisario Front as the representative of the Western Sahara people.
Since the country is not widely recognised, the government has asked Independent Diplomat to serve its interests.Thomas Frear: The foreign policy options of a small unrecognised state: the case of Abkhazia, in: Caucasus Survey, Vol. 1 (2014), No. 2, pp. 83-107 (here: p. 97), DOI: 10.1080/23761199.2014.11417293.
Recognition . Of these, have "frozen" or "withdrawn" recognition for a number of reasons. Several states that do not recognise the Sahrawi Republic nonetheless recognize the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the population of the Western Sahara, but not as the government-in-exile for a sovereign state.
The republic has been a full member of the African Union (AU), formerly the Organization of African Unity (OAU), since 1984. Morocco withdrew from the OAU in protest and remained the only African nation not within the AU between South Africa's admittance in 1994 and (re-)joining the African Union in 2017. The SADR also participates as guest at meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement or the New Asian–African Strategic Partnership, over Moroccan objections to SADR participation. On the other hand, upholding Moroccan "territorial integrity" is favoured by the Arab League.
Besides Algeria, Mexico, Iran, Venezuela, Vietnam, Nigeria, and South Africa, India was the major middle power to have ever recognised SADR and maintained full diplomatic relations, having allowed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to open an embassy in New Delhi in 1985. However, India "withdrew" its recognition in 2000.
As with any fluid political situation, diplomatic recognitions of either party's rights are subject to frequent and sometimes unannounced change.
Bilateral relations
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has, since its proclamation established diplomatic relations with a number of states, mainly in Africa and the Americas, which have recognised its independence. In connection with the "freezing", "withdrawing" and resuming of recognition, similar changes have occurred at the level of diplomatic relations. SADR has stable and developed relationships with states such as Algeria and South Africa.
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is represented abroad by the Polisario Front, which maintains a network of missions and embassies. Some states that have recognised the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic have elevated the Polisario representation in their country to the status of SADR embassy. The Polisario Front maintains also a network of representations on countries that do not recognized the SADR as a sovereign country, mainly in Europe, with some of them having relations with the host country governments. Representation of foreign countries to the SADR is performed by embassies located abroad, mainly in Algiers, due to the Western Sahara conflict and the settlement of the Sahrawi refugee camps in south-western Algeria. Strong support of Sahrawi cause from some countries is demonstrated by foreign delegation's visits in Liberated Territories of Western Sahara.
Current diplomatic relations
A total of 29 states presently maintain diplomatic relations with the SADR. As of 6 August 2018, Botswana is the most recent nation to have formally established diplomatic relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Seven states have frozen or canceled relations with the SADR in the past, but later resumed them.
# State Relations established Sahrawi mission Mission to Sahrawi Republic‡ Embassy (non-resident) Notes 1 Embassy (Algiers) — AU, Arab League, OIC; Algeria–SADR relations 2 Embassy (Luanda) ‡ (Algiers) AU 3 ‡ (Managua) — — 4 Embassy (Gaborone)"The Sahrawi Republic opened a new Embassy in Botswana starting this June" ‡ (Addis Ababa) AU 5 1980s — — ASEAN 6 Embassy (Havana) "Embajada de la República Árabe Saharaui Democrática" ‡ (Algiers) Cuba–SADR relations 7 Embassy (Addis Ababa) ‡ (Rome) AU 8 — — OIC 9 Embassy (Nairobi) ‡ (Algiers) AU; Relations were frozen from 18 October 2006 to 6 February 2014 or shorter;Kenya–SADR relations10 ‡(New Delhi) —ASEAN 11 ‡ (Pretoria) ‡ (Kuwait City) AU 12 ‡ (Dar es Salaam) — AU; Relations are cancelled since 17 January 2014 to 23 November 2015. 13 Embassy (Mexico City) ‡ (New York City)"Enlace con: ...República Árabe Saharaui Democrática..." Mexico–SADR relations 14 Embassy (Maputo) "Embaixada do República Arabe Saharaui Democratica" — AU, OIC 15 ‡ (Luanda) "Saharawi (Non-Resident) Embassy of the Arab Democratic Republic of Saharawi" ‡ (Algiers) AU 16 Embassy (Managua) ‡ (New York City) Relations were frozen from 21 July 2000 to 12 January 2007. 17 Embassy (Abuja) ‡ (Algiers) AU, OIC; Nigeria–SADR relations 18 — — — 19 Embassy, non resident (Kampala) — AU 20 "Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic - Joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations" Embassy (Pretoria) ‡ (Algiers) "Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Algeria also accredited to the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic" AU; SADR–South Africa relations 21 ‡ (Addis Ababa)"Sahrawi Republic....Addis Ababa" — AU; Relations were cancelled from 30 September 2018 to 20 September 2022. 22 Embassy (Dar es Salaam) — AU 23 Embassy (Dili) Lisualdo Gaspar, Director of Bilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Timor‑Leste: "In fact, he added, Timor‑Leste had accorded full diplomatic representation to the Embassy of the "Saharawi Republic" in its capital, Dili, in 2010" — SADR–Timor-Leste relations 24 Embassy (Kampala) ‡ (Tripoli) AU, OIC 25 Embassy (Montevideo) — — 26 ‡ (Dili) — — 27 Embassy (Caracas) ‡ (Algiers) SADR–Venezuela relations 28 — ‡ (Algiers) ASEAN 29 Embassy (Harare) ‡ (Algiers) AU
Former diplomatic relations List of countries which have suspended diplomatic relations with the Sahrawi Republic. # State Relations established Relations suspended Former Sahrawi missionThe number of former embassies which existed in the past is likely to be more, but for any embassies to/of states that "withdrew" or "froze" recognition of SADR many years ago we are missing sources.The former embassies usually continue to work, but as a unilateral Representative Offices without diplomatic privileges from the host country. Former mission to Sahrawi Republic Notes1 —Embassy (Algiers)Diplomatic relations suspended between 20 January 2020 and 16 September 2021 and again on 24 February 2026. 2 — — AU; Relations were frozen from 5 May 2006 to 16 June 2008, they are cancelled since 25 October 2010. "Malgré le gel de la reconnaissance de la République Arabe de Sahraoui Démocratique, les relations entre les deux pays se sont nettement renforcées, a martelé l’Autorité burundaise." 3 — — AU; Relations are frozen from 27 July 2007. 4 "deux parties ont décidé d’élever leurs relations diplomatiques" — — AU; Relations are suspended from 17 March 2006.5 Embassy (Bogotá)"On the 27th of September, the Embassy of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in Colombia was officially opened"—Relations were frozen from 20 December 2000 to 10 August 2022 under Gustavo Petro, and again on 10 August 2026.6 ——AU. Relations were cancelled 13 September 1996 7 Embassy, non-resident (Panama City) — Relations are frozen from 22 April 2000.8Embassy (Quito)"...appointment of the Saharawi diplomat... as the first resident ambassador in Quito, Ecuador"Embassy, non-resident (New York City)Relations were suspended from 22 October 2024 9 Embassy, non-resident (Managua) Embassy, non-resident (New York City) Relations were cancelled from April 1997 to 6 June 2009 at the latest. They were cancelled again on 15 June 2019.10 Embassy (Accra)‡ (Algiers)"The Mission is accredited to... the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)"Ghana suspended ties on 7 January 2025.11 ——Relations were cancelled 16 August 2010 12 Embassy (Bissau) — AU, OIC; Relations are cancelled since 30 March 2010.13 ‡ (Caracas)"Embassy of Republic of Sahrawi... Chacao, DC, Venezuela"—Relations cancelled in November 2020. 14 Embassy (Port-au-Prince) — Relations are cancelled since 2 October 2013. 15 — — Relations suspended on 22 April 2026. 16 "Following our recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in October 1985, an SADR Embassy has started functioning in New Delhi." Embassy (New Delhi) Embassy, non-resident (Algiers) "With the opening of the Embassy of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Delhi, India's Ambassador to Algeria was concurrently accredited to the SADR." Relations are cancelled since 26 June 2000. "The government of India has decided, suddenly without any explanation, to withdraw the recognition granted in 1985 to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" 17 or before Embassy, non-resident — AU; Relations were suspended after Liberia opened a consulate in Dakhla, which is occupied by Morocco. 18 Embassy (Antananarivo) — AU; Relations are frozen from 6 April 2005. 19 Embassy, non-resident (Nairobi) Embassy, non-resident (Cairo) AU; Relations were cancelled from 27 December 2002 to 1 February 2008 and from 16 September 2008 to 6 March 2014 or shorter. They were cancelled again from 5 May 2017.20Diplomatic relations were suspended on 10 April 2026. 21 Embassy (Panama City) — Relations were suspended from 20 November 2013 to 7 January 2016. Relations suspended again on 21 November 2024. 22 Embassy, non-resident (Montevideo) — Relations were frozen from 25 July 2000 to 12 August 2008, they are suspended from 3 January 2014.23 Embassy (Lima)—Relations were frozen from 9 September 1996 to 8 September 2021; suspended in September 2023.24 ——AU, OIC 25 Embassy, non-resident (Tindouf) "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, C/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic" "Sahrawi Arab Republic, H. E. Mr. Abd Mohamed Yahia, Ambassador" — Relations are frozen from 15 February 2013.26 ——AU; Relations were cancelled from 23 October 1996 27 Embassy, non-resident (Antananarivo, then Algiers) — AU; Relations are cancelled since 17 March 2008.28 ——AU, OIC; Relations are cancelled since 18 June 1997. 29 Embassy, non-resident (Dar es Salaam) — AU; Relations were cancelled from 29 March 2011. Re-established on 21 November 2012, relations were cancelled again on 25 February 2017.
Relations with international organisations The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic holds either 'member' or 'observer' status in several international organisations. It participates in the activities of organisations that have formalised its membership, as well as in activities of other organizations as a guest participant. The SADR is usually represented by a Government or national organisations such as the Sahrawi Trade Union.