Sahrawi tribal elders in Laayoune welcomed the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2797 as “a historic victory” that, they said, confirmed Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces and enshrined the Autonomy Initiative as “the sole and realistic basis” for resolving the Sahara dispute.
The declaration, issued Sunday by the Council of Traditional Sheikhs for Identity Verification in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, praised King Mohammed VI’s “wise and renewed diplomacy” and described the UN decision as “a turning point that opens new horizons for cooperation and good neighborliness under Morocco’s outstretched-hand policy.”
In their statement, the elders called the vote “a great joy for all Sahrawis and Moroccans,” framing it as an opportunity to end the suffering of Moroccans “detained for more than five decades” in the Tindouf camps.
They urged their return “in dignity and freedom to participate in the ongoing development of the southern provinces.”
The statement, read by Sheikh Hassana El Idrissi, lauded the King’s address following the UN decision as “a message of unity and national pride,” calling the outcome “the fruit of decades of steadfast commitment to the legitimacy of Morocco’s territorial integrity.”
Speaking to Hespress, El Idrissi described the resolution as “a new diplomatic triumph that cements the Moroccan identity of the Sahara,” and said that the Security Council’s recognition of the autonomy plan as “the only realistic and fair solution” crowned “a long process of strategic and prudent diplomacy led by King Mohammed VI.”
He added that the King’s speech “expressed the deep bond between the throne and the people.”
Sheikh Abdellatif Bira, another representative of the Sahrawi tribes, said the resolution “crowns the victories of royal diplomacy” and affirmed the autonomy plan “as the only credible and equitable path.”
He called on Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps to “return home to join the national project of development and dignity,” stressing that “the southern provinces have become a space of prosperity and opportunity for all who believe in Morocco’s unity.”
The elders concluded by renewing their oath of allegiance to King Mohammed VI and reaffirming their “unconditional attachment to Morocco’s territorial integrity.”
They urged Algeria to “respond with wisdom to the King’s call for reconciliation and open a new chapter of cooperation that serves the stability and prosperity of the Maghreb.”
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.