The symbolism of this meeting reached its climax when the late King had completed the distribution of arms to tribal representatives. An act that stemmed from the desire to continue the fight to defend the territorial integrity of the kingdom and preserve the climate of peace and security in the freshly recovered provinces.

As we celebrate, tomorrow, Saturday, the 31st anniversary of the recovery of Oued Eddahab, Morocco remembers an important moment in the process of completion and consecration of the territorial unity of the Kingdom.

The recovery of this part of the country was the result of a long struggle that had begun several decades by Morocco to complete its independence and territorial integrity. On November 23, 1957, the uprising of Ait Baamrane tribes against the occupation led to the return to the motherland of Tarfaya and Sidi Ifni in 1969 and other parts of the Moroccan Sahara thanks to the organization of the Green March in 1975.

Few years later, March 4, 1980, the late sovereign went to meet the population of Oued Eddahab as part of an official visit on the occasion of Throne Day.

The Royal visit in this region had a unifying impetus for national unity, marking a reunion between the great unifier and his loyal subjects and demonstrating once again the continued commitment of populations of the Southern provinces to the homeland and its sacred institutions.

This attachment, which has never waned for centuries, has been the cause of the failure of all the maneuvers of the enemies of the Kingdom's territorial integrity.

Following in the footsteps of his revered father, His Majesty King Mohammed VI pays close attention to the provinces and their populations to face the conspiracies of the enemies of territorial integrity, expressing wisdom, vision and commitment of Morocco to preserve its inalienable rights.

This commitment has also been reiterated by His Majesty’s speech on the Throne Day July 30, 2010, in which the sovereign stressed that "Morocco will continue to defend its sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, with the determination not to give up one single inch of the Sahara.

The monarch added that Morocco will continue to move forward in implementing the ambitious vision that we set in our last speech of the Green March, by making the Moroccan Sahara among the leading beneficiaries of the advanced regionalization process and by continuing unabated efforts to promote the common development of our Southern provinces.

«Similarly, we are planning to undertake an extensive overhaul of the Royal Consultative Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS). We will also step up efforts to secure the lifting of the blockade imposed on our citizens in the Tindouf camps, so that they may exercise their legitimate right to return to their motherland and join their families and relatives, in accordance with the relevant international conventions, "said His Majesty the King.

Along with his fight on the diplomatic front, Morocco has made considerable efforts to integrate its southern provinces in the national process of global sustainable development, demonstrating to the world the legitimacy of its rights, as well as the unanimity and determination of the Moroccan people to preserve them.

Today, the province of Oued Eddahab, especially its capital Dakhla, can be proud of making a qualitative leap in the economic, social and urban fields. It is now part of domestic and foreign investment poles, particularly in the fields of fishing, equipment, agriculture and tourism.

The commemoration of the anniversary of the recovery of Oued Eddahab Province will remain etched in golden letters in the annals of the struggle of the Moroccan people for the completion of independence and the achievement of national unity. It is an opportunity to remember the national values that underlie the history of Morocco and renew the sense of citizenship and advocacy to preserve its unity and move forward in the process of building and development in various fields.

Source: MAP
- News concerning Western Sahara issue/ Corcas-