Five polisario senior leaders are detained by Algerian authorities in army barracks in Tindouf (southwestern Algeria), following the return to Morocco of Ahmaddou Ould Souilem, Polisario founder who served as minister-advisor to the presidency of the phantom entity, "Algeria Times" reported on Tuesday.
Quoting reliable sources, the paper said top military officials held a series of meetings in Tindouf and Algiers after the defection of the top polisario leader, adding that Investigations were opened to look into the circumstances of Ould Souilem's return to Morocco.

The same source added that Mohamed Yeslem Bissat, delegate minister for Foreign Affairs and Africa, and Bachir Mustapha Sayed in addition to other influential polisario officials are among the persons questioned and suspected of preparing a return to Morocco via Mauritania.

Members of the leadership of the separatist movement, led by Brahim Ghali, are negotiating with the detainees in order to convince them give up the idea of returning to Rabat, the Algerian paper said, affirming that large-scale defections at the current juncture will have a negative impact on the future of the Polisario.

Algerian authorities tried to keep the detention of top polisario officials as a secret in an attempt to swallow the setbacks created by the return of Ould Souilem to his homeland Morocco. His return dealt a hard blow to the secessionists who tighten their grip on people suspected of yearning to flee to Morocco. 

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