Rabat – The year 2021 marks the 42nd anniversary since the recovery of the Oued-Eddahab province on August 14, 1979, an event widely celebrated as a significant milestone in postcolonial Morocco’s national reunification process.
The event was and remains central in the national reunification history of post-independence Morocco. Although Morocco attained its independence from France in 1956, reunifying the country with its southern provinces remained the missing ingredient in the completion of Moroccan territorial integrity.
Oued-Eddahab and National Unity
On August 14, 1979, several Ulema, tribal chiefs, and other notables from the Oued-Eddahab region in southern Morocco traveled to the Royal Palace in Rabat to pledge their allegiance to the late King Hassan II.
The event is seen as evidence of the southern provinces’ belonging to Morocco and their historical allegiance to the Moroccan monarchy. It was followed by various other events that only strengthened the case for the Morocanness of the southern provinces.
On March 4, 1980, the late King Hassan II visited the region, meeting with the people of Oued-Eddahab as part of the Throne Day festivities, further strengthening Moroccan national unity.
Most recently, Moroccan sovereignty over the southern regions was reaffirmed to the international community by the US’ recognition of the Moroccan character of the territory.
This recognition laid the ground for more socio-economic prosperity in the regions of Dakhla and Oued-Eddahab, especially as Morocco has notably implemented its vision of making its southern provinces a regional and national economic hub in recent years.
With the US recognition, projections are that the move and its ensuing international momentum will open the doors to injecting more foreign investments into completing Morocco’s development projects and improving living standards in the region.
Impact on the Region
Since King Hassan II’s 1980 visit, Morocco has started several initiatives and projects aimed at improving the socio-economic standards and dynamics of its southern region.
In 2015, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Green March, King Mohamed VI announced the launch of a new development model for the southern provinces. The vision entailed the realization of more than 600 development projects, at a total cost of MAD 80 billion ($9 billion). 137 of these projects were announced for Oued-Eddahab specifically.
The projects ranged from the production of phosphates, to improving infrastructure in the region, as well as large-scale renewable energy projects that strengthen Morocco’s image as a renewable energy leader.
The King described this huge undertaking as “a fundamental support to cement the advancements of the southern provinces as part of a single, unified Morocco, making the Sahara an economic center that links Morocco with the rest of Africa.”
These investments have shown significant returns, as recent statistics about the southern provinces show considerable improvements due to decades-long efforts.
For instance, 81.8% of people aged 6 to 22 in these provinces are enrolled in school or have completed basic academic qualifications, in comparison to 74.9% of students on the national scale.
Potable water and electricity supply in the south is also superior to that of other regions in the country. For instance, potable water is reported to be available in 93.7% of the southern region, compared to 72.9% nationally.
The recent acknowledgement of Moroccan sovereignty by the US also helped the region experience an unprecedented anticipation of international economic activity, as foreign investors began to recognize its importance as an economic center in Africa.
Recent significant projects include the building of a new Atlantic port in the Dakhla region and the establishment of trade zones in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region.
For many observers, such indicators point to a bright future for Oued Eddahab and the southern provinces as a whole, especially economically. All of these developments would not have been possible, however, without the historic recovery of the region.
