King Mohammed VI of Morocco has addressed his people on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the Green March.
His Majesty focused on the Western Sahara that was disputed during the Green March and to this day. He said: “In fact, the Moroccan character of the Sahara is a truth as perennial as it is immutable; it suffers, therefore, no dispute first, because the legitimacy of our cause is validated by the annals of history, then because such is the deep wish and the ardent wish of the Sahrawi population finally because the international recognition confirms it.”
He said that Morocco’s sovereignty was non-negotiable and that this year’s celebration is “taking place in a context marked by many accomplishments as well as challenges.”
The King was thankful to the United States for recognising Morocco’s “full and entire sovereignty” over “[the] Sahara is a matter of pride for us.
“It is the natural corollary of the constant support of previous American administrations and the illustration of their constructive contribution to the process of settling the question of the Sahara.
“This orientation confirms the irreversible character of the political process underway: it is dedicated to putting in place a definitive solution based on the Autonomy Initiative, under Moroccan sovereignty.”
He went on to promise Morocco’s cooperation with the United Nations but unwillingness to negotiate over the Sahara.
“For Morocco, its Sahara is not to be negotiated. Today as in the past, the Moroccan character of the Sahara will never be on the agenda of any negotiation. In fact, if we enter into negotiations, it is mainly to achieve a peaceful settlement of this artificial regional conflict. On this basis, we reaffirm Morocco’s commitment to the political process led by the UN.”
His Majesty concluded by saying that the Sahara is a topic that unites Moroccans and asked the people to remain mobilised and vigilant on the issue.
The Green March took place in November 1975 to demand Spain hand over the disputed Spanish Sahara to Morocco. The demonstrations were coordinated by the Moroccan government that saw around 350,000 people take part; in the end, Morocco – with support from the United States and France – gained control over most of the Spanish Sahara.
