Morocco’s King Celebrates International Support for Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Rabat – In a short yet powerful speech he delivered today to open the legislative year, King Mohammed VI stressed the increasing international support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.

The resulting momentum has solidified Morocco’s Sahara stance, he noted, reaffirming the kingdom’s commitment to preserve its sovereignty over its southern provinces.

Throughout his speech, the monarch repeatedly renewed Morocco’s determination to transition from reactive management to a proactive and decisive stance in addressing the dispute.

“Since I ascended the throne, I have been saying, with respect to the question of our territorial integrity, that we are bound to move from a management stage, to a stage in which we change the situation, both domestically and at the external level, all dimensions considered,” he said.

The monarch further stressed how Morocco’s approach to the Sahara dispute has succeeded in highlighting the validity of the country’s position and asserting its legitimate historical rights over the region, citing the momentum the country has gained over the years and recent developments in support of Moroccan territorial integrity.

One example the King discussed is France’s new Western Sahara position marked by a full recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his support for Morocco’s territorial integrity, historically declaring his country’s full recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.

“The present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty,” Macron said in his letter.

Applauding the French decision, the King expressed gratitude to Macron for unequivocally supporting Sahara as a Moroccan territory.

“Through this positive development, justice and legitimacy have been upheld and so have Morocco’s historical rights, especially since this recognition emanates from a major country, which is a permanent member of the Security Council and an influential player on the global stage,” the King said.

King Mohammed VI’s message to France — a country the monarch said is fully aware of the ins and outs of the Sahara dispute, was met with rounds of applause from MPs attending the opening of the legislative year session.

Today’s speech was also remarkable as it included a clear response to the latest hostile campaigns from the Algerian regime, the Polisario Front, and the dwindling list of supporters of separatist claims that seek to undermine Morocco’s territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, the speech notably comes just a week after a contentious ruling from the European Court of Justice, which claimed that the EU-Morocco agriculture and fisheries agreements violate the “right to self determination of the Western Sahara people.”

While he did not directly name this development, King Mohammed VI was adamant that the growing international recognition of, and support for, Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces will ultimately root out all the lingering marginal voices still bent on challenging the Americanness of the Sahara.

“France’s position is part of the positive momentum that characterizes the question of the Moroccan Sahara,” the King said, recalling also the unwavering support from other allies like the US.

He also expressed gratitude to all Arab and African countries that have backed Morocco’s territorial integrity, especially singling out the allies that have opened consulates in Morocco’s Laayoune and Dakhla.

The Moroccan sovereign also highlighted the diplomatic momentum gained by Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the sole basis for reaching a final solution to the dispute within the framework of sovereignty, recalling Spain’s March 2022 endorsement of the Moroccan initiative.

“They include our friend, Spain – a country which knows the finer details of the issue, and whose stance on the matter has significant political and historical implications – as well as the majority of European members,” the King said, further renewing Morocco’s deep appreciation of all its allies and partners for supporting its foremost national cause.

In recent years, Morocco has consistently emphasized that the dispute over Western Sahra is the lens through which it views its relations and cooperation with other countries.

This means, as the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said last week in response to the EU court’s hostile ruling on Morocco-EU agreements, that the North African kingdom will enter no agreement or partnership with any country that undermines its most important cause by challenging or casting doubt on its territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, many observers have applauded Morocco’s efforts to modernize the region and transform it into a national development model and a regional economic hub.

In 2022, the King announced plans to fund massive development projects in southern provinces with a budget cover of more $7.1 billion to launch real socio economic and investment opportunities in the region.