Autonomy plan: Transitions ahead following royal advisor, party leaders meeting

Three senior advisers to King Mohammed VI held a meeting Monday with leaders of political parties represented in Parliament to discuss the updating and detailing of Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, in line with the King’s recent speech to the nation following the latest UN Security Council resolution supporting the initiative.

The meeting, held at the Royal Palace in Rabat, invited party leaders to present their visions and proposals for refining the autonomy plan, which reaffirms Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces while aligning with international legitimacy and future-oriented national aspirations.

Analysts say the move to involve political parties signals the importance of national unity in resolving the decades-long regional dispute and underscores the shared responsibility of political actors in reinforcing Morocco’s position on the international stage.

Political analyst Said Berkinan said the meeting “marks a transition from merely defending the national cause to participating in shaping and implementing the autonomy plan,” highlighting that the gathering “revives the historic alliance between the monarchy and political parties, renewing their joint mission to safeguard Morocco’s territorial integrity.”

He added that the initiative represents “a shift from passive support to proactive contribution,” allowing political parties, especially those representing citizens in the southern regions, to propose management mechanisms for the autonomy framework.

Berkinan emphasized that involving Parliament ensures that “the Moroccan nation, through its representatives, participates directly in the realization of autonomy,” particularly given the high voter turnout in the Sahara during recent elections.

Badr Boukhlouf, professor of public law at Moulay Ismail University in Meknes and executive director of the National Center for Legal and Human Rights Studies, described the inclusion of political parties as “a wise step that reflects the King’s belief in participatory governance.”

He noted that Morocco “won the Sahara battle long ago through sovereignty on the ground, and later through diplomacy,” adding that parties now have “a historic responsibility to communicate effectively with citizens and civil society, to ensure national alignment with the royal vision for the southern provinces.”

Boukhlouf concluded that greater political engagement in implementing the autonomy plan could “encourage Moroccans in the Tindouf camps to return home” and urged parties to “revitalize their internal dynamics and integrate youth and civic participation” into this national endeavor.