Sahara issue: King Mohammed VI calls on UN to assume responsibility

King Mohammed VI urged the UN to assume its responsibility over the Sahara issue in a context where the reality points to Moroccan sovereignty over the territory amid growing international support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and for its autonomy plan for the Sahara.

“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,” said the King in a speech marking the 49th anniversary of the Green March celebrated by Morocco this November 6.

Morocco has been able to establish tangible facts on the ground as well as an irreversible reality rooted in law, legitimacy, commitment and responsibility, said the King.

These facts include attachment of the inhabitants of the Sahara to their Moroccan identity, the progress and prosperity in that territory, and the growing international support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara and for its autonomy plan, he said.

“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another world clearly disconnected from reality – a world still feeding on the illusions of the past and clinging to outdated theories and claims,” said the Monarch.

Those who cling to the obsolete and unfeasible referendum option- discarded by the UN itself- continue, at the same time, to “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,” the King said.

To those who exploit the Sahara issue so as to secure access to the Atlantic Ocean, the King said “we do not refuse such 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.”

To those who use the Sahara issue to deflect attention from their domestic problems or those who seek to manipulate certain legal aspects to serve narrow political aims, the King made it clear that “Morocco’s partnerships and legal obligations will never be at the expense of its territorial integrity or its national sovereignty.”

“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,” the King said.