The Royal Speech on the Green March Clarifies Key Points on the Moroccan Sahara Issue

This Wednesday evening, King Mohammed VI delivered a royal speech to his people on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the triumphant Green March, focusing on the topics of territorial integrity and Morocco’s just national cause.

Commenting on the royal speech, Zakaria Zarrouki, a researcher at the Doctoral Studies Center in Legal, Economic, Social, and Management Sciences at Abdelmalek Essaadi University, told Al-Khabriya that “some people live in a different world.” This was how His Majesty King Mohammed VI described those opposing Morocco’s territorial integrity. On this cherished national occasion, His Majesty affirmed the tangible and legitimate reality of the Moroccan Sahara, highlighting the unbreakable bond that the Saharan people have with their land and their Moroccan identity, which no one can challenge, underscoring the deep-rooted justice of the cause throughout history.

The political science researcher noted that “the international recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern territories is extensive, underscoring the justice of the cause, while some continue to live in a world detached from reality, clinging to outdated narratives, particularly concerning a referendum and attempts to exploit the issue for minor gains or seeking access to the Atlantic while deflecting from internal problems.”

Zarrouki also pointed out that His Majesty emphasized “Morocco’s growing international position on the Sahara issue, noting the increasing support for the autonomy initiative as a realistic and lasting solution to the conflict from several countries, including the United States, Spain, and France.”

The King highlighted “the substantial progress in infrastructure and economic projects in the southern provinces,” according to Zarrouki, “including the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, which will strengthen economic links between Morocco and Africa, making the southern provinces a strategic hub connecting Morocco to the world.” His Majesty also underscored the Green March as a symbol of national unity and peace, reaffirming the commitment to ongoing development projects to enhance the living standards of the region’s inhabitants.

Furthermore, His Majesty King Mohammed VI stressed that it is time for the “United Nations to assume its responsibility and clarify the vast difference between the legitimate, real world, represented by Morocco in its Sahara, and an outdated world disconnected from reality and developments.”