MD Sahara: a forum to discuss how to implement regional autonomy
- National unity
- Mechanisms for implementing regional autonomy
- Participatory and consultative approach
MD Sahara represents a great opportunity to discuss mechanisms for implementing regional autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, within the framework of the Royal invitation to national political bodies, institutions and the country's vital forces to participate in the development of a comprehensive vision for the autonomy initiative in the Sahara.
The objective, as King Mohammed VI himself pointed out in his latest speech, is to update the Moroccan initiative in order to guarantee the return of Moroccan refugees in the Tindouf camps, their reunification with their families and relatives, the construction of their future and their contribution to the management of their local affairs, within a unified Morocco.
National unity
The MD Sahara Forum will not only commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Green March, but will also serve to consolidate Morocco's commitment to national unity and continental ambition, focusing on the implications of the recent UN Security Council Resolution 2797 (2025) of the United Nations Security Council, which enshrines the Moroccan autonomy plan as the realistic and applicable solution, as well as the basis for negotiations to reach a definitive solution to the Western Sahara conflict.
In this regard, Fouad Ali El Himma, Taieb Fassi Fihri and Omar Azziman, advisers to King Mohammed VI, held an important meeting on 10 November with the leaders of the political parties represented in Parliament, which was also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita.
Mechanisms for implementing regional autonomy
Following the historic UN Security Council resolution adopted on 31 October, which endorsed the Moroccan autonomy proposal as a realistic and viable solution to the Sahara conflict, King Mohammed VI called for the development of a shared vision for the implementation of autonomy in the southern provinces.
During the aforementioned meeting, the King's advisers asked party leaders to submit detailed memoranda on efficient mechanisms for implementing autonomy within a week to ten days, with the aim of strengthening the internal front and consolidating national unity on this crucial issue for the country.
The MD Sahara event takes into account the context of growing international support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, which has become the only framework for a definitive political solution, as affirmed by successive Security Council resolutions and the positions of the major powers.
Participatory and consultative approach
In application of the royal decision reflected in the speech delivered by the King on 31 October, following the issuance of Resolution 2797 by the UN Security Council, Mohammed VI's instructions focus on updating and detailing the autonomy initiative within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.
The aim is to promote a broad participatory and consultative approach to national issues of great importance, such as Western Sahara.
The King's advisers informed the leaders of the political parties of the monarch's interest in consulting them on this crucial issue that concerns all Moroccans, and urged them to present their organisations' views and proposals for updating and developing the autonomy initiative.
For their part, the national political bodies and institutions concerned expressed their firm commitment to the royal vision and their full support for Mohammed VI's initiatives to defend the country's legitimate rights and consolidate the Moroccan identity of the Sahara.