DIPLOMACY
At 49th anniversary of the Green March, Morocco reaffirms its right on Western Sahara
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has called on the United Nations to assume responsibility and spell out the major difference between the real, legitimate world – represented by Morocco in its Sahara.
The monarch made the call at the 49th anniversary of the glorious Green March – an annual event that celebrates Moroccans’ march against the Spanish colonization of Morocco’s southern provinces.
The Green March was a mass demonstration in November 1975, coordinated by the Moroccan government and military, to force Spain to hand over the disputed, autonomous semi-metropolitan Province of Spanish Sahara to Morocco.
In a speech delivered on Wednesday, King Mohammed VI recalled that the peaceful, popular march enabled Morocco to recover the Moroccan Sahara.
“It also strengthened the bond between that region’s inhabitants and their motherland.”
Since then, Morocco has been able to establish tangible facts on the ground as well as an irreversible reality rooted in law, legitimacy, commitment and responsibility, as evidenced by the following:
“Firstly: 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.
“Secondly: the progress, security and stability existing in the Moroccan Sahara.
“Thirdly: growing international recognition of the Sahara as a Moroccan territory, and the broad support the Autonomy Initiative has been receiving.”
Continuing, the monarch remarked that “parallel to this natural, legitimate situation, there is, sadly, another world disconnected from reality – a world still feeding on the illusions of the past and clinging to outdated theories and claims:
“As a result, 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.
“And some exploit the Sahara issue to secure access to the Atlantic Ocean.
“To them I say this: We do not refuse such as a prospect. As everyone knows, Morocco has proposed an international initiative to facilitate the Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean, within the framework of partnership and cooperation. The aim being to achieve shared progress for the benefit of all peoples in the region.
And there are those who exploit the Sahara issue to deflect attention from their many internal problems.
“Still, 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.”
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, has reaffirmed that the security and stability of Gulf Arab states are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
Speaking during an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States held on Sunday to discuss Iran’s attacks on Arab states, Bourita stressed that Morocco views any threat to Gulf countries as a direct threat to itself.
“What harms you harms us, and what affects us affects you,” Bourita said, reiterating Morocco’s long-standing commitment to the security of Gulf nations.
The meeting, attended remotely by the Moroccan minister, was convened to address what participants described as Iran’s aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Arab countries.
Bourita noted that Morocco’s position reflects the policy consistently articulated by King Mohammed VI, who has repeatedly emphasised solidarity with Gulf partners. He revealed that the Moroccan monarch recently held telephone conversations with leaders of Gulf states to express Morocco’s support for their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The minister also recalled the king’s remarks during the Moroccan-Gulf Summit on April 20, 2016, where Mohammed VI declared that defending shared security among Arab nations is “not only a common duty but an indivisible one.”
During the emergency session, Bourita strongly condemned what he described as “brutal Iranian attacks” on Arab countries, calling them a blatant violation of their sovereignty and a serious threat to regional stability. Morocco, he said, stands in full solidarity with the affected states and supports any legitimate measures they deem necessary to safeguard their citizens and territories.
He further accused the Iranian regime of pursuing destabilizing policies across the region, alleging that Tehran seeks to create and support militias and groups loyal to it in order to undermine the stability and interests of neighboring countries.
Bourita urged Arab nations to strengthen unity and collective action through the League of Arab States as the most effective means of protecting regional security and safeguarding national sovereignty.
Concluding his remarks, the Moroccan foreign minister called for a unified Arab stance against actions that threaten regional stability and demanded the immediate cessation of Iranian attacks, saying such a move would open the door for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
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Mohammed VI has reaffirmed Morocco’s “full support and solidarity” with several Arab Gulf states following what he described as “blatant attacks” on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement issued Saturday by the Royal Cabinet, the Moroccan monarch disclosed that he held separate telephone conversations with key Gulf leaders, including Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates; Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia; and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
According to the Royal Cabinet, King Mohammed VI strongly condemned the attacks targeting the sovereignty of the “brotherly states” and reiterated Morocco’s readiness to stand by them in any legitimate measures they consider necessary to safeguard their security and ensure the safety of their citizens.
The statement underscored the “deep fraternal ties and enduring solidarity” binding Morocco to the Gulf nations, stressing that the security and stability of the Arab Gulf region are inseparable from Morocco’s own national security.
“Any infringement upon their integrity constitutes a serious and unacceptable aggression and a direct threat to regional stability,” the statement read.
Morocco has long maintained close political, economic and security ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with cooperation spanning investment, energy, defence and diplomatic coordination on regional issues.
Saturday’s high-level consultations signal Rabat’s intention to reinforce those alliances at a time of heightened regional tensions, while affirming its position that threats to Gulf states are viewed as threats to broader Arab and regional stability.
The Royal Cabinet did not provide further details on the nature of the attacks referenced in the conversations, but the statement reflects Morocco’s consistent diplomatic posture of collective Arab solidarity in times of crisis.
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On High Royal Instructions from Mohammed VI, the Moroccan government has rolled out a major aid and support programme valued at approximately $328 million (MAD 3 billion) to assist communities affected by exceptionally severe weather conditions over the past two months.
The extreme weather, which particularly impacted the Gharb plain and Loukkos regions, caused widespread flooding and large-scale displacement across several provinces.
According to a press release from the Office of the Head of Government, His Majesty, mindful of safeguarding citizens’ safety and improving their living conditions, directed authorities to implement an urgent and comprehensive response plan, alongside the necessary regulatory measures required in such circumstances.
In line with these instructions, the Head of Government issued a decree declaring the weather conditions a catastrophic event. The most affected communes in the provinces of Larache, Kénitra, Sidi Kacem and Sidi Slimane have officially been designated disaster areas.
The aid and support programme, equivalent to roughly $328 million, was designed following an in-depth field assessment and a detailed evaluation of the economic and social repercussions of the disaster.
The breakdown of the package includes:
- $85 million (MAD 775 million) for rehousing affected families, compensating for loss of income, rehabilitating damaged homes and small businesses, and reconstructing collapsed houses.
- $25 million (MAD 225 million) in in-kind assistance and reinforced emergency interventions to meet immediate and essential needs.
- $33 million (MAD 300 million) in targeted support for farmers and livestock breeders.
- $186 million (MAD 1.7 billion) allocated for the rehabilitation of roads, hydro-agricultural infrastructure and basic public service networks.
The statement further emphasised that the King has instructed the government to ensure the programme is executed in an exemplary, swift and responsible manner, enabling affected citizens to return to normal living conditions as quickly as possible.
Official figures indicate that the severe weather caused flooding across more than 110,000 hectares of land and displaced nearly 188,000 people in the four affected provinces.
The large-scale intervention underscores Morocco’s commitment to rapid recovery and long-term reconstruction following one of the most significant weather-related disruptions in recent years.
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