Readings by Moroccan academics, political analysts, and civil society actors have shown that King Mohammed VI’s clear strategic vision has contributed to a qualitative shift in international positions regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue, confirming that the national political consensus on the issue constitutes a pivotal element in the strength of the Moroccan position and a fundamental pillar of royal diplomacy.

This came during an international symposium organized by the Moroccan Youth Academy on the occasion of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Green March, under the title “Royal Diplomacy and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Green March,” which constituted “a scientific and intellectual platform to review the results of half a century of diplomatic work led by” King Mohammed VI, “and to anticipate the prospects of the next stage in light of the rapid developments in the Moroccan Sahara issue at the regional and international levels.”

Clear vision

Abbas El Ouardi, the academy’s general coordinator, explained during his presentation of the seminar’s framing paper that “the pivotal roles of the royal institution in managing the fabricated conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.”

Al-Wardi recalled, according to the general report of the remotely organized symposium, that the Green March, “created by King Hassan II in 1975, was a sophisticated expression of the unity of the demand and the peacefulness of the national struggle.”

He added that King Mohammed VI “continued this approach with a clear strategic vision that defined the cornerstones of political action for the conflict through the 2007 autonomy initiative, which constituted a qualitative shift in international dealings with the issue, as it became a realistic and serious reference point for this fabricated conflict.”

The professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat affirmed that “Morocco’s return to the African Union in 2017 and its break with the policy of the empty chair strengthened the Moroccan presence on the continent,” and that “the American recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, the opening of more than 30 consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla, along with the support of 123 countries for the autonomy initiative, are all indicators of the success of royal diplomacy in achieving strategic breakthroughs in the course of the national cause.”

national consensus

Issam Al-Aroussi, director of the Perspectives Center for Geopolitical Studies, focused on “the concept of national political consensus regarding the Moroccan Sahara,” and considered it “a central element in the strength of the Moroccan position and a fundamental pillar of the royal diplomacy that has operated with a pragmatic approach.”

Al-Aroussi added, in his intervention, that “this consensus made the autonomy project a realistic and serious option, which was acknowledged by the Security Council in its recent resolutions as the only political solution to the fabricated conflict.”

The Moroccan academic explained that “this consensus was also reflected in the great dynamism launched by Moroccan diplomacy in building relations with various countries, which strengthened international support for the autonomy proposal as a final solution to the fabricated conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.”

Yassine Asbouya, a researcher in youth and civil society, emphasized in his intervention during the same symposium “the importance of participatory democracy and the role of civil society organizations as a key player in defending the Moroccan Sahara.”

Asbouya pointed out that “civil society today constitutes one of the parallel diplomatic fronts that strengthens national mobilization behind His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and translates the spirit of the Green March into continuous field action.”

Investing in success

In conclusion, the international symposium recommended “investing in Morocco’s success in consolidating international recognition of the Moroccan Sahara, in order to pave the way for a new phase based on moving from advocacy to the actual implementation of the autonomy project as a just, lasting and acceptable solution for all parties.”

The conclusions of the symposium also stated that “the return of the detainees in Tindouf to the homeland represents a new page in the path of national unity, entitled ‘The homeland is forgiving and merciful.’”

The participants also called for “continued vigilance and mobilization under King Mohammed VI, to complete the democratic and developmental construction process in the southern provinces.”