Mohamed VI celebra el 45º aniversario de la Marcha Verde

In these days is the 45th anniversary of the march initiated by Morocco to reconquer the territory of the Spanish Sahara colony in 1975. The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, as is the tradition each year, has given a speech to the Moroccan people recalling that this march was 'a unique example of collective mobilisation, commitment, discipline and respect for the law'.

The monarch wished to congratulate the Moroccan people on the response they received when they heard the appeal of the late King, Hassan II, asking them to start a march towards the southern provinces. "This is proof to the whole world of the capacity of the Moroccan people to face up to challenges, which has allowed us to enter history by undertaking a peaceful march, crowned with the recovery of our southern provinces".

Throughout his speech, Mohamed VI emphasised the undoubted Moroccanness of the Sahara and took the opportunity to list the achievements made in the African Union and the UN after 45 years of reintegrating the territory.

"As far as the United Nations is concerned, the latest Security Council resolutions have buried unrealistic approaches and outdated theses, insisting on the effective participation of the real parties involved in this regional dispute and irreversibly strengthening the political solution based on realism and consensus," the monarch explained.

The Moroccan king spoke of the need to resolve international doubts by proclaiming autonomy for the territory, which continues to be disputed at international level with slow, MINURSO-sponsored talks. "All this is in keeping with the Moroccan autonomy initiative, which enjoys the support of the Security Council and the major powers, as it is the only natural option for settling this dispute".

As for the African Union, the monarch has celebrated his return to "his African home" where he is gaining increasing support. When Western Sahara joined the organisation, Morocco decided to leave in 1985, though it re-entered in 2017.

"Thanks to Morocco's return to its African home, the AU has managed to get rid of some manoeuvres that held it hostage for several years, now adopting a constructive approach based on full support for the efforts made exclusively by the United Nations".

The monarch did not wish to overlook the fact that several international consulates have been opened in El Aaiún and Dakhla over the past week. "This is a clear recognition of the Moroccan nature of the Sahara and an expression of his confidence in the security, stability and prosperity enjoyed by our southern provinces.

The celebration of the Green March coincides with the tensions Morocco is currently experiencing south of Guerguerat, on the border with Mauritania, where demonstrations are taking place with dozens of Saharawi civilians called by the Polisario Front.

In this connection, he wished to reaffirm his "absolute repudiation of the abominable practices that attempt to obstruct the natural movement between Morocco and Mauritania, modify the legal and historical situation that prevails to the east of the security wall, or illegally exploit the area's wealth". 
 

King Mohammed VI has stressed that, after so much time and money invested in the territories, "the time has come to make the enormous potential of the maritime space bear fruit". 

During this year, Morocco has completed the layout of the country's maritime areas, integrating them into the framework of the Moroccan legal system and within the framework of respect for the principles of international law. 

The monarch gave a wink to Spain by treating it as a friendly country and explaining that there is no intention of violating maritime law since "we will respect the association that unites us as friendly countries, far from unilaterally imposing the policy of faits accomplis".

The economic reports coming from the Atlantic area have been celebrated by Mohamed VI as a success. He also announced that "the Atlantic coast of the south of the Kingdom, located opposite the Moroccan Sahara, will be a seafront for economic integration and continental and international radiance".

In doing so, he announced that he will create the second largest port of the country in Dakhla. "Knowing the resources that these provinces contain, we will continue to work to develop a real maritime economy, capable of making them a bridge and a link between Morocco and its African depths".

The news of opening a trade channel with southern African neighbours has been accompanied by the announcement of increased investment in sea-related development sectors. In addition, he added that "in parallel, the fishing sector must continue to be promoted, in view of the role it plays in the economic promotion of the region, as well as giving new impetus to the Blue Plan which will make it a strategic pillar for the activation of the tourism sector in this region, making it a true destination for beach tourism". 

To conclude the speech, King Mohammed VI wanted to pay tribute to all the martyrs of the country "transmitting our consideration to all the components of the Royal Armed Forces and the Security Forces, for their constant mobilization, in order to preserve the national unity and to safeguard the security and stability of our country".