46th Anniversary of the Recovery of Oued Eddahab: An Occasion to Reaffirm the Moroccan People’s Unwavering Commitment to the Kingdom’s Territorial Integrity

On August 14, 1979, the ulema, notables and tribal chiefs of the province of Oued Eddahab went to the Royal Palace in Rabat to present to the late HM Hassan II their oath of allegiance and to reaffirm their unwavering attachment to the Glorious Alaouite Throne, according to a statement by the High Commission for Former Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army (HCAR).

Through this solemn and highly patriotic act, the inhabitants of Oued Eddahab made it clear that they would never relinquish their Moroccan identity, affirming their attachment to their homeland and its sacred territorial integrity from Tangier to Lagouira, despite the maneuvers of adversaries.

It was a historic moment immortalized by the speech in which the late Sovereign declared: “We have just received, on this blessed day, your oath of allegiance, which We will preserve and keep preciously as a sacred trust. From now on, you must honor this oath. For Our part, We also take it as Our duty to ensure your defense and security and to work tirelessly for your well-being. Welcome, My dear sons, to your homeland. Let us give thanks to the Almighty for having bestowed upon Us His blessings by reuniting the South of Our country with its Northern homeland and restoring the blood ties between its sons.”

During the ceremony, the late HM Hassan II also handed over weapons to the representatives of the tribes, a strong and symbolic gesture of the continued struggle to defend territorial integrity and ensure security in the recovered provinces.

A few months later, the architect of the Glorious Green March met once again with the people of Oued Eddahab during a historic visit to Dakhla. This visit once again demonstrated the perfect symbiosis between the Glorious Alaouite Throne and the people of the southern provinces. This unbreakable bond, which forms the cement of national unity, thwarted all the schemes devised by the enemies of Morocco’s territorial integrity.

Since then, the Kingdom has worked to promote the economic and social development of its southern provinces, integrating them into the process of comprehensive and sustainable development.

The historic return of this cherished part of Moroccan territory to the homeland was the outcome of a long struggle waged over several decades by Morocco to complete its independence and territorial integrity.

The celebration of this anniversary is an opportunity to recall the profound significance of this event, which embodies the unwavering attachment of the province’s population to the Sovereign and the Alaouite Throne and their constant mobilization for the defense of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity, during the recovery of Tarfaya on April 15, 1958, then Sidi Ifni on June 30, 1969, and other parts of the Moroccan Sahara thanks to the epic Green March on November 6, 1975, the statement noted.

Continuing along the path set by his august father, HM King Mohammed VI pays particular attention to the southern provinces, ensuring their economic growth and consolidating national mobilization to thwart all conspiracies against Morocco’s territorial integrity.

Today, 45 years after the recovery of Oued Eddahab province, development efforts continue in this cherished part of Moroccan territory, with the aim of making it a true economic hub.

Since the recovery of the southern provinces, major projects have been launched to implement investment and development programs in economic, social, urban, cultural and human sectors, with the goal of building a resilient regional economy that generates wealth and jobs.

Four decades after their liberation, the southern provinces and regions of Morocco are experiencing sustained momentum in various fields.

In this regard, a series of major multi-sector projects have been launched in the region, including the mega-project of the Dakhla Atlantic Port, the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, the West Africa Free Zone, and the irrigation project for 5,000 hectares through seawater desalination, as well as projects related to renewable energies.

The province of Oued Eddahab has become an investment platform, thanks to its tax advantages, economic potential, natural assets, and strategic geographical position, in addition to its skilled human resources fostered by the establishment of specialized institutes and schools designed to meet labor market needs.

The region also has three industrial zones, the Port Industrial Zone, the Assalam Industrial Zone, and the Al Massira Industrial Zone, along with specialized economic units in the food industry, building materials, and boat construction shipyards.

Today, the province of Oued Eddahab can boast a qualitative leap in economic, urban, and social development, as it is now among the poles of both national and foreign investment, particularly in the fields of maritime fishing, industry, agriculture, tourism, and renewable energies.

The new development model for the southern provinces, launched by HM King Mohammed VI in Laâyoune in 2015 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Green March, has also laid the foundations for a development process aimed at strengthening the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of the region.

Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv