King Mohammed VI stressed that Morocco, as part of its efforts to defend its territorial integrity and Moroccan sovereignty over its Sahara, has been able to establish tangible facts on the ground as well as an irreversible reality rooted in law, legitimacy, commitment and responsibility.
This includes “the strong attachment of our sons and daughters in the Sahara to their Moroccan identity, and their commitment to the nation’s sacred, immutable values, in keeping with the bond of the Bei’a, which has existed throughout history between the inhabitants of the Sahara and the kings of Morocco”, the Sovereign underlined in His speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Glorious Green March.
It also includes “the progress, security and stability existing in the Moroccan Sahara”, as well as “the growing international recognition of the Sahara as a Moroccan territory, and the broad support the Autonomy Initiative has been receiving,” HM the King added.
“Parallel to this natural, legitimate situation, there is, sadly, another world clearly disconnected from reality – a world still feeding on the illusions of the past and clinging to outdated theories and claims,” the Sovereign noted.
As a result, the Sovereign underlined, “there are some who demand a referendum, despite that option being discarded by the United Nations and the impossibility of implementing it.”
At the same time, the proponents of that position refuse to allow a census of the people detained in the Tindouf camps, using them as hostages, keeping them in deplorable, humiliating conditions, and depriving them of the most basic rights, HM the King noted, adding that there are those who exploit the Sahara issue so as to secure access to the Atlantic Ocean.
“To them I say this: We do not refuse such as a prospect,” the Sovereign underlined, recalling that Morocco has proposed an international initiative to facilitate the Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean.
This initiative, the King stressed, is devised within the framework of partnership and cooperation. The aim being to achieve shared progress for the benefit of all peoples in the region.
The Sovereign also noted that there are those who “exploit the Sahara issue to deflect attention from their many internal problems”, while others seek to manipulate certain legal aspects in order to serve narrow political goals.
“To them as well, I say this: Morocco’s partnerships and legal obligations will never be at the expense of its territorial integrity or its national sovereignty,” HM the King said.
In this regard, the Sovereign underlined that “now is time for the United Nations to assume its responsibility and spell out the major difference between the real, legitimate world – represented by Morocco in its Sahara – and a world which is frozen in time, and which is disconnected from reality and the developments that have taken place”.
HM the King also recalled the sacrifices made by the generation of the Green March, adding that these sacrifices “inspire and prompt us to be more vigilant and to show greater mobilization. The purpose is to enhance the gains made in the recognition of the Sahara as a Moroccan territory, and to continue promoting the development and progress witnessed in our southern provinces.”
In the same spirit, the Sovereign stressed the imperative of ensuring that the fruits of progress benefit all citizens in all regions, from the Rif region to the Sahara, from the east to the Atlantic Ocean, from mountainous regions to our plains and oases.