Rabat – In a speech commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the Green March, King Mohammed VI stressed that cooperation on the Sahara issue should be carried out with respect to Moroccan sovereignty, outlining four pillars of cooperation with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres:
“Firstly, ‘No’ to any solution to the Sahara question other than within the framework of Morocco’s full sovereignty over its Sahara and the Autonomy Initiative, which has been declared serious and credible by the international community;
Secondly, draw lessons from past experience, for the problem is not so much finding a solution as determining the process that produces it; for this reason, all the parties that have concocted this dispute must fully shoulder their responsibility in order for a final solution to be reached;
Thirdly, ensure full compliance with the terms of reference adopted by the UN Security Council when addressing this artificial regional dispute, for the Security Council is the only international body tasked with overseeing the settlement process;
Fourthly, outright rejection of any transgression or attempt to infringe on Morocco’s legitimate rights or its best interests; rejection of any obsolete proposals designed to divert the settlement process from the set terms of reference, or to introduce or impose other issues which are dealt with by other relevant bodies.”
On the national level, King Mohammed VI reiterated his commitment to promote development in the Sahara, stressing the need to offer Morocco’s populations there freedom and dignity. For the Sovereign, “sitting by and waiting for the desired solution to be found” is out of question.
The King stated that the implementation of the “development model specifically designed for these regions” will continue, seeking parallel to carry out “the advanced regionalization plan, which will enable the inhabitants of the region to run their own affairs democratically and to contribute to its development.”
For the King, the projects he has already launched, and those to follow, “will turn the Moroccan Sahara into an integrated economic hub that will enable the region to play its role as a link between Morocco and countries further down in Africa.”
