The Sahrawi Presidency confirmed the death of the SADR Minister of Equipment and one of the founders of Polisario Front, Sid Ahmed Batal, after a long struggle with illness, announcing on this painful occasion, a mourning for a week.
The Sahrawi Presidency said in a communiqué carried by the Sahrawi News Agency (SPS), “Sid Ahmed Al-Bilal, Minister of Equipment in the Saharan government, moved next to his Lord this morning after suffering from the Covid-19 epidemic.”
On this painful occasion, the Presidency of the Republic announced national mourning for a period of seven days, starting tomorrow, Thursday, May 27, 2021.
The Sahrawi Presidency’s press release pointed out that “the late Sid Ahmed Batal joined the struggle at its early stage of the revolution against the colonial presence in the Western Sahara and remained devoted his whole life to achieve this goal until he passed away.”
According to the communiqué, the deceased Ahmed Batal is considered one of the historical leaders of the Polisario Front and among its founding members, as he was a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, then a member of the Executive Committee and the Political Bureau, moving later to the National Secretariat, where he participated in the preparation of the Forum that declared national unity and the Forum of the Mass to establish the National provisional Council.
The press release highlighted that the deceased assumed several military tasks, including the leadership of the second military region and was the first director of security and training in the Ministry of National Defense.
The leader also assumed political tasks, including that of official in charge of central branches and director of the National School of executives, and held several positions in the sahrawi government, including the ministries of education and health, as well as information and equipment.
