Laayoune saw a major public gathering on Friday evening following the release of the Royal Cabinet statement announcing the end of MINURSO’s mission. Hundreds of residents made their way to Mechouar Said Square and the city’s main streets to express their support for the decision.
Celebrations took place in several neighborhoods of the capital of the Moroccan Sahara. The gatherings coincided with Morocco’s commemoration of the first anniversary of Unity Day, amid developments in the Sahara issue at international institutions.
Local officials were quick to react. Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid, president of Laayoune’s municipal council, said the royal statement accurately reflects the aspirations of residents in the southern provinces and Moroccans as a whole. He voiced his full support for the decision, describing it as a historic step.
Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid argued that the UN mission’s continued presence on the ground no longer had any real justification, either politically or in light of the realities of the issue. He presented the end of its activities as a development consistent with the logic of a definitive settlement of the dispute and international legitimacy.
Sidi Hamdi Ould Errachid, president of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra regional council, described the development as an unprecedented diplomatic gain. In his view, the royal statement clears up ambiguities and puts an end to attempts to create confusion after 35 years of work on the issue in international forums.
From managing the issue to implementing autonomy
The regional council president also stressed that Morocco is entering a new phase, moving from managing the issue toward a process of change. He said this shift is in line with the King’s vision for implementing Morocco’s autonomy initiative, while ensuring that major development projects continue in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region and the other southern provinces.
Reactions also came from representatives of Sahrawi tribes. In their statements, the region’s sheikhs and community leaders emphasized the national character of the Sahara issue, saying that its resolution is first and foremost a matter of Morocco’s sovereign decision.
These representatives renewed their support for the King’s vision of reaching a definitive settlement to the dispute. They also reaffirmed their backing for the autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty, which they described as the only option for resolving the issue.
The statements by local officials and community leaders followed the celebrations held in Laayoune after the royal announcement. They reflect their interpretation of the latest developments in the Sahara issue and their support for the direction advocated by the Kingdom.
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The public gathering also took place amid a diplomatic context that local officials described as marked by support from several major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council for Morocco’s position on the Sahara and its autonomy initiative.
For the local officials and representatives who spoke out, this sequence of events opens a new chapter focused on implementing Morocco’s autonomy initiative and continuing development projects in the southern provinces.
