King Condemns Outdated Views in Green March Speech

Clinging to the Past: Outdated Ideas and the Western Sahara Dispute
King Mohammed VI of Morocco, in his address commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Green March, pointedly addressed the ongoing Western Sahara dispute. He highlighted the disconnect between those clinging to outdated perspectives and the evolving reality on the ground. He lamented the existence of a narrative detached from the truth, one rooted in the illusions of the past and clinging to obsolete arguments. This raises crucial questions about the future of the region and the search for a lasting resolution.
The King’s statement specifically criticized the insistence on a referendum, a solution the United Nations has itself moved away from due to its impracticality. This shift in the UN’s stance is significant. For decades, a referendum on self-determination was considered the cornerstone of any resolution. However, the complexities of identifying eligible voters, coupled with shifting demographics and political realities, have made a free and fair referendum increasingly difficult to achieve. This has led to a search for alternative solutions, focusing on political negotiations and autonomy proposals.
Furthermore, the King contrasted the demand for a referendum with the refusal to conduct a census of those living in the Tindouf camps in Algeria. These camps house refugees from the Western Sahara conflict, and accurate population data is crucial for humanitarian aid and any future political process. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has repeatedly called for a registration process, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability in managing the camps. The lack of a census raises concerns about the well-being of the population and the potential for manipulation of numbers for political gain. This resistance to a census, while demanding a referendum, underscores the perceived double standard in the approach to resolving the conflict.
The Western Sahara dispute, a decades-long conflict, centers on the territory’s status. Morocco considers the Western Sahara an integral part of its kingdom, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, seeks independence. The international community, through the UN, has been working to find a mutually acceptable political solution. The UN Security Council has repeatedly called for a realistic, pragmatic, and durable political solution based on compromise. Recent UN resolutions have emphasized the importance of direct negotiations between Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania.
Morocco has proposed an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara, which would grant the region significant self-governing powers while remaining under Moroccan sovereignty. This proposal has gained international support, with several countries recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara. However, the Polisario Front continues to insist on a referendum on independence.
The complexities of the Western Sahara dispute are further compounded by geopolitical factors