Salama, a
Sahrawi, was born in
Laayoune,
Western Sahara. When he was in his 20s, he left his hometown due to the
Western Sahara conflict and joined the
Polisario Front, serving in the military and fighting against Morocco. As of 2011, Salama, who remained commander of the 3rd military region, was in his 50s and was described as "the representation of those old Arab revolutionary forces that by now belong to the past: cultured, knowledgeable ... Progressive and a fighter, Salama was solid and calm." In 2015, Salama became the Minister for the Interior of the SADR. Three years later, he was re-elected following the
2023 Sahrawi legislative election. ==References==