Mohammed VI calls on the UN to clarify the real world and the legal world, regarding the Moroccan Sahara

The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, calls on the United Nations to “assume their responsibility and clarify the great difference between the real world and the legal world, which Morocco represents in its Sahara, and between a petrified world, far from reality and its evolutions”.

Moreover, he affirms in his speech on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Green March that “Morocco has succeeded in establishing a tangible reality and an irreversible truth, on the basis of law, legality, commitment and responsibility”.

The monarch stresses that all this has been made possible by “the attachment of our children in the Sahara to their Moroccanness; by the resurgent progress, security and stability enjoyed by the Moroccan Sahara; and by the growing international recognition gained by the Moroccanness of the Sahara, in addition to the broad support for the autonomy initiative”.

Mohammed VI warns those who use the Sahara to cover up their internal problems and those who ask for things outdated by time, and abandoned by the UN as the referendum while “refusing to allow a census of those held in the Tindouf camps, taking them hostage, in deplorable conditions of contempt and humiliation, without the slightest right”.

And to those who yearn for an outlet to the Atlantic, he reminds them that “Morocco, as everyone knows, proposed an international initiative to facilitate an access of the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, within the framework of partnership, cooperation and the realization of the desired development for all the peoples of the region”.

And in a message to the European Union without quoting it, he affirms that “Morocco's partnerships and legal commitments will never be at the expense of its territorial integrity and national sovereignty”.

The other axis of his speech is based on the Moroccans living abroad and the reforms carried out at ministerial level to “strengthen the link of this sector with their homeland” with the creation of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad and a special body called “Mohammadia Foundation for Moroccans living abroad” which will be the executive arm of public policies in this domain.

He ends his speech by calling for mobilization to maintain the achievements of the Moroccan Sahara and to fight against inequalities by claiming that “we must work to ensure that the fruits of development and progress reach all citizens, in all regions”.

Full text of the Royal Speech:​

"Praise be to God, prayer and greeting be upon our Lord, the Messenger of God, his family and companions,

Dear Citizens,

Today, we are proudly celebrating the forty-ninth anniversary of the Green March.

That peaceful, popular march enabled us 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.

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:

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 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. 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.

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.

Dear Citizens,

At this stage in the evolution of the question of our territorial integrity, we need to keep up the concerted efforts of us all.

In this regard, I wish to commend, in particular, the sense of patriotism shown by our Moroccan community abroad, and its commitment to defending the nation’s sacred, incontrovertible values, as well as its contribution to our country’s development.

To strengthen the bonds linking our expatriate community to the homeland, I have decided that the mechanisms used in managing the affairs of Moroccans residing abroad should be revisited.

This will be achieved by restructuring the institutions concerned with our community abroad to make sure there is no overlap of powers and no dispersion of actors, and to see to it that the new needs of our expatriate community are met.

With that in mind, I have asked the government to ensure a restructuring of the institutional framework, based on two main bodies:

- The first one is the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad; this independent constitutional institution must play its role in full as a platform for reflection and for making proposals, ensuring that all components of our expatriate community are duly represented.

In this respect, I call for the rapid adoption of the new law for the Council so that it may be installed at the earliest opportunity.

- The second one concerns the establishment of a special body, to be called the “Mohammadia Foundation for Moroccans Residing Abroad”; it will serve as the executive arm for the implementation of public policy in this regard.

The new institution will be tasked with pooling the powers currently scattered among a number of actors, and with preparing, coordinating and implementing the national strategy for the Moroccan community abroad.

The new institution will also manage the “National Mechanism for Mobilizing Moroccan Skills Abroad”, which I called for and which should be front and centre in the institution’s mission.

The aim is to open up prospects for Moroccan skills abroad and to accompany project leaders.

Working actively with the departments and stakeholders concerned, I expect this institution to give a strong impetus to the linguistic, cultural and religious services provided to the Moroccan community abroad, all generations included.

One of the main challenges this institution must address is the simplification and digitization of administrative and judicial procedures that concern our expatriate community.

I also attach special importance to opening up new prospects for Moroccans abroad to invest in their homeland. That the contribution of our expatriate community to private investment should stand at a mere 10% is really not acceptable.

Dear Citizens,

The sacrifices made by the generation of the Green March 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, we must see to it 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.

I seize the opportunity of this glorious anniversary to remind ourselves of the Green March’s eternal oath, as a mark of loyalty to its architect, my revered father, His late Majesty King Hassan II - may he rest in peace - and to pray for the souls of our righteous martyrs.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh".