Abdelkader Taleb Omar (; born 1951) is a Sahrawi politician and diplomat currently serving as the Minister of Education and Vocational Training of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 2025. He was ambassador to Algeria from 2018 to 2025, and previously served as

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Career

Omar is a

Polisario Front The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...

veteran who has lived in exile in the

Tindouf province Tindouf, also written Tinduf (), is the westernmost province of Algeria, having a population of 58,193 as of the 2008 census (not including the Sahrawi refugees at the Sahrawi refugee camps). Its population in reality could be as high as 160,00 ...

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

since 1975. He has held several ministerial posts in previous governments, served as speaker of the

Sahrawi National Council The Sahrawi National Council (SNC; , ) or Sahrawi Parliament is the legislature of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The present sp ...

(the parliament in exile) in the 1995-1999 period, and also as ''Wali'' (Governor) of the Smara refugee camp, near

Tindouf Tindouf () is the main town, and a Communes of Algeria, commune in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Algeria–Mauritania border, Mauritanian, Algeria–Western Sahara border, Western Saharan and Algeria–Morocco border, Moroccan borders. Th ...

. He was named to that post of Prime Minister by SADR president Mohamed Abdelaziz, in the framework of the XI General Popular Congress held in

Tifariti Tifariti () is an oasis town and the temporary capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, located in north-eastern Western Sahara, east of the Moroccan Berm, from Smara and north of the border with Mauritania. It is part of what Polisario ...

on 29 October 2003,Western Sahara News October, Weeks 40 - 44 (28.09.-31.10.2003
ARSO, 29 October 2003 and re-appointed again to that post in early 2012. Omar was widely tipped to be the favorite to succeed Mohamed Abdelaziz, to the post of president in 2015, with the Algerian

Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité The Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS) (Arabic: دائرة الإستعلام والأمن) () was the Algerian state intelligence service. Its existence dates back to the struggle for independence. In 2016, it was dissolved by Pres ...

considered to be preferring him over other candidates. But Abdelkader ruled himself out, paving way for

Brahim Ghali Brahim Ghali () (, born 19 August 1949) is a Sahrawi politician, military officer and current president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), formerly its ambassador to Algeria and Spain. Ghali played a key role in the struggle of th ...

, who was serving as the ambassador in

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

at that time, and was also considered to be close to the Algerian DRS to ascend to that post. Omar is widely perceived as a liberal, arguing for a return of the

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (; ; ; MINURSO) is the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, established in 1991 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 690 as part of the Settlement P ...

to Sahrawi territories, as a preclude to the referendum, unlike many other Polisario Front leaders who would prefer an armed resistance against Morocco.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Omar, Abdelkader Taleb 1951 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Polisario Front politicians Ambassadors of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to Algeria Prime ministers of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Infrastructure ministers of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Interior ministers of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Information ministers of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi diplomats