Morocco celebrates today, January 11, the 77th anniversary of the Manifesto of Independence.
On this day in 1944, 66 members of the Moroccan National Movement signed the country’s Manifesto of Independence and presented it to the French and Spanish colonial authorities, as well as the representations of three global powers—the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union.
The Manifesto of Independence expressed the refusal of Moroccans to continue to live under “the protectorate” of French and Spanish colonizers. Most historians believe the presentation of the historic document marked the beginning of Morocco’s diplomatic efforts to regain independence.
This year, Morocco celebrates the anniversary amid an unprecedented momentum of the Moroccan diplomacy in the defense of the country’s territorial integrity.
On January 10, a senior official US delegation made an unprecedented, “historic” visit to Dakhla in southern Morocco. For many commentators, the US support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara represents a major breakthrough for Moroccan diplomacy.
Since the Moroccan National Movement presented the Manifesto of Independence in 1944, Morocco has gradually regained its territorial integrity and reclaimed its previously-colonized regions.
“The 77th anniversary of the presentation of the Manifesto of Independence crystallizes the perfect symbiosis between the Alaouite Throne and the Moroccan people in their fight for independence,” the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote earlier today.
Read also: Morocco’s Independence Day: A Symbiosis Between Throne, People and Homeland
To commemorate the occasion, King Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to 756 inmates across Morocco.
Meanwhile, several public figures have taken to social media to pay tribute to the Moroccans who fiercely fought for Morocco’s independence.
Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani wrote: “The presentation of Morocco’s Manifesto of Independence represented a decisive turn and a bright milestone in the national struggle for freedom and independence.”
El Othmani considers the celebration of the event’s anniversary to be a tribute to late King Mohammed V and the members of the Moroccan National Movement and Army of Liberation.
