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Rabat – Director of the Royal Documents Directorates Bahija Al-Simo stressed that Morocco has archives of documents, confirming the country’s roots and long-standing history in its Sahara regions.
Al-Simo made her remarks during an interview as part of a forum organized by Morocco’s news agency MAP to discuss Morocco’s archived documents.
During the forum, Al-Simo stressed that Morocco has documents that serve as strong evidence of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Eastern and Western Sahara.
The archives include texts signed by Sahrawi tribes and their leaders that document their attachment and loyalty to Morocco’s sultans and kings of the Alawi dynasty.
“The directorate of Royal Documents published many books in this regard, especially the book ‘Allegiance is a continuing pact between the King and the People’ in 2011,” she said.
For Al-Simo, such books provide “solid scientific material” that researchers can benefit from, stressing that it has been serving as a benchmark that has attracted the attention of many academics.
Al-Simo also recalled “Moroccan Sahara through Royal Documents,” a book that was issued in three parts in 2012. The book also includes a general and comprehensive historical study of the Sahara region.
“The Royal Documents Directorate is working hard to shed light on many political, economic, social, cultural and diplomatic issues in order to address ready-made judgments and come up with correct judgments by relying on integrated and consistent documents,” she said.
Eastern Sahara
Al-Simo also brought up the archived documents that provide hard evidence of Morocco’s ownership of the Eastern Sahara, which France awarded to Algeria in 1962.
The Eastern Sahara includes parts of both western and southwestern regions, such as Bechar, and Tindouf among others
She also stated that many documents confirm that Eastern Sahara is indeed part of Morocco, stressing that such documents are “available and can be viewed.”
The director added that a number of maps, agreements, and drawings of borders confirm that these lands are in fact Moroccan.
However, the director’s statement angered Algeria’s pro-regime media, which described Al-Simo’s remarks as a “dangerous escalation.”
Algerian newspaper Echourouk online claimed that such remarks revive an “old and sterile debate that is considered one of the historical reasons that triggered the bloody conflict with Algeria.”
Algeria’s regime hosts, finances, arms, and supports the Polisario Front, a separatist militia that claims independence in Western Sahara.
Al-Simo is not the only official to bring up the long-standing debate about the Eastern Sahara.
In 2013, Moroccan MP Hamid Chabat made similar remarks, calling on Morocco to restore its territories from neighboring Algeria.
Chabat, who was the secretary general of the Al Istiqlal (Independence) Party, said that his party “has been aware of the task to regain Moroccan borders, especially the southern provinces: the Moroccan Sahara, Tindouf region, Beshar, Kenadsa, among others.”
The former party leader made his remarks during a televised show in April 2013. His comments caused frustration in Algeria’s regime, which described his words as “irresponsible” and “dangerous.”
