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Rabat – King Mohammed VI described Morocco’s sovereignty as “non negotiable” in his televised speech to mark the 46th anniversary of the Green March. Morocco’s king described this year’s celebration as “taking place in a context marked by many accomplishments as well as challenges,” after an eventful year in the ongoing territorial dispute over the Western Sahara region.
The monarch addressed the diplomatic momentum which saw the US recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the region and the 24 nations who have established consulate generals in the region’s major urban centers of Dakhla and Laayoune.
“The positive dynamic characterizing the evolution of our national cause cannot be stopped,” the king said, describing Morocco’s sovereignty over the region as “an immutable and indisputable fact, be it on account of history, legitimacy, the strong will of the Moroccan people or broad recognition by the international community.”
Regional tensions
King Mohammed VI’s comments come at a time of renewed international attention, tense diplomacy, and renewed fears of escalations between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
The Moroccan monarch highlighted “tangible developments in the defense of our Saharan territories,” and praised Morocco’s armed forces “for securing the freedom of movement of persons and goods at the Guerguerat crossing between Morocco and our sister nation, Mauritania.”
He described the border blockade by the Polisario militia as “serious provocations and aggressions,” and emphasized “the risks those acts posed to security and stability in the region.” Nearly a year ago, on November 13, Morocco lifted the widely denounced blockade without casualties or injuries and while being monitored by UN operatives.
Diplomatic momentum
Morocco’s monarch additionally addressed the diplomatic momentum that marked an eventful year after three decades of impasse. “I wish to express my appreciation for the tangible and growing support our just cause has received,” King Mohammed VI stated, thanking in particular the United States for its recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the region.
The king described the newfound US backing of Morocco’s territorial integrity as a “natural consequence of the continuous support provided by previous US Administrations and an illustration of the United States’ constructive role in the settlement of this issue.”
Read also: Full Speech of King Mohammed VI on the Occasion of the 46th Anniversary of the Green March
For the King, the US’ recognition is a first but essential step in a trend that could lead to a final resolution to the Sahara conflict based on Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan.
Recent diplomatic scuffles with Germany and France received indirect attention in the royal speech.
In a tacit reference to diplomatic tensions that have recently marked Morocco’s relations with some traditional partners, the king stated Morocco has “every right, today, to expect bolder and clearer stances on the part of our partners regarding the territorial integrity of our country.”
Some level of added clarity on the position of other nations on the issue “would also support the efforts made to achieve a final, feasible solution,” he emphasized.
A peaceful solution
“We are negotiating in order to reach a peaceful solution to this artificial regional dispute,” the king highlighted, emphasizing that “Morocco is not negotiating over its Sahara. The Moroccanness of the Sahara never was – and never will be – on the negotiating table”
Turning to the ongoing UN-led political process to settle the Sahara dispute, the Moroccan monarch assured UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his new Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, “of our full support for the efforts the UN Secretary-General is making to reactivate the political process as soon as possible.”
The king further expressed the country’s wish to continue to work with local UN mission MINURSO and reaffirmed “Morocco’s adherence to a political settlement, under the aegis of the United Nations.”
In addition to the importance of Morocco’s international partners for regional development, the King spoke emphatically of the vast efforts by Morocco to spur on the development of the region.
“The Saharan regions have become an open space for development and for national and foreign investment,” the king stressed.
He additionally indirectly addressed a recent European Court ruling which Morocco is appealing. “I wish to tell those with ambiguous or ambivalent attitudes, that Morocco will not have any economic or commercial transaction with them in which the Moroccan Sahara is not included.”
Despite challenges in the way of Morocco’s struggle to fully reclaim its southern provinces, King Mohammed VI argued, resolving the Sahara question depends on Moroccans remaining “mobilized and vigilant to remain mobilized and vigilant in order to defend the nation’s unity and territorial integrity, and to promote the development as well as the political accomplishments made in our southern provinces.”
The king highlighted the large voter turnout for the 2021 national elections in the Western Sahara region. Local representatives are “elected in a free, democratic and responsible manner – are the real, legitimate representatives of the region’s populations.”
