The finish line has never seemed so close for Moroccans. Fifty years ago, 350,000 of them set off into the desert, Koran and flag in hand, at the call of King Hassan II, towards Western Sahara – then under Spanish administration. The objective of this Green March? Claim sovereignty of the territory after the setback inflicted by the International Court of Justice. Seized by the kingdom in 1974, the magistrates of The Hague recognized the oaths of allegiance of several Sahrawi tribes, but advocated self-determination, to the great dismay of Hassan II, who decided to ignore them. “It is imperative, inevitable, obligatory, that we fulfill our sacred duty: to join our people in the Sahara”he announced, launching at the same time negotiations with Madrid to get their hands on this land rich in phosphate and with fish-rich waters.
Maneuvers paid off – a few weeks later, Spain withdrew and transferred the administration of Western Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania. This agreement, not recognized by the UN, sets fire to the powder. The Polisario Front, an independence movement, armed and supported by Algeria, goes to war against the two countries. If peace was quickly concluded on the Mauritanian side, the conflict bogged down in the north, until the ceasefire signed on September 6, 1991 under the aegis of the United Nations Mission for the organization of a referendum in Western Sahara. Referendum never organized and definitively buried by the UN vote on Friday October 31, 2025. The Security Council adopted the American resolution, taking a position in favor of the plan presented by Rabat in 2007.
A policy of fait accompli
“The time has come for a united Morocco which extends from Tangier to Lagouira: the one whose rights no one will dare to flout, nor to transgress historical borders”welcomed King Mohammed VI, satisfied to see the efforts made by his country for half a century finally being recognized. Economically, the Moroccan authorities have invested considerably in the “Southern provinces”, a term by which they designate the regions of Guelmim, Laâyoune and Dakhla. A plan of 77 billion dirhams (7.2 billion euros) has been allocated to them over the period 2016-2021. Politically, the kingdom began a process of advanced regionalization in 2015. “For ten years, the State has entrusted part of its power to these provinces and to the local administration which will ultimately depend on regional elected officials,” explains to Tangwall Campagin M’Barka Bouaida, president of the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, which borders Western Sahara.
” Lthe struggle will continue »
Diplomatically, Rabat has worked hard, going so far as to normalize its relations with Israel in 2020, to obtain the support of the United States on the Sahrawi issue. A concession which led to a domino effect: Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, then France in the summer of 2024 lined up in turn behind the Moroccan proposal, now endorsed by the United Nations. Resolution 2,797 extends the mandate of Minurso for one year and tasks the UN Secretary General with a strategic review within six months, “with regard to the outcome of the negotiations”. If the text retains the principle of self-determination of the Sahrawi people – a reference to the United Nations charter – and considers that true autonomy represents one of the most realistic solutions, the prospect of an independence referendum seems obsolete. “ This option is completely ruled out »confirms M’Barka Bouaida. “ There are other forms of self-determinationshe insists, like the autonomy plan that we have already started to put in place ».
Today firmly established in this vast territory of 266,000 square kilometers of which it controls more than 80% in the west, compared to less than 20% in the east for the Polisario Front, Morocco has undeniably succeeded in symbolically imposing its sovereignty over Western Sahara internationally. It remains to be seen whether this new lever will signify the end of the latent conflict. The independence movement has already made it known that it “would not participate in any process aimed at legitimizing the Moroccan occupation”. The Sahrawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, for his part, warned that “ the fight will continue » For “ defend our rights ». And to add: “Morocco rejoices and claims that the problem is resolved. We’ll see who’s celebrating in the end. »
As for Algeria, it has been working since Friday, out of denial or bitterness, to minimize the scope of the UN resolution. In an interview broadcast Sunday evening on the state channel AL24 Newsthe Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, declared that she “don’t change the fundamentals” of the file. A few days before the fiftieth anniversary of the Green March, the border between Western Sahara and Morocco is becoming more refined. It even disappeared on the Moroccan version of Google Maps, AFP journalists noted this Saturday.
