Morocco marks anniversary of Western Sahara occupation as UN mission ends

In Laayoune, hundreds of pro-Moroccan Sahrawis gathered to celebrate waving Moroccan flags. The anniversary comes as the decades-old territorial conflict enters a new diplomatic phase, with the UN peacekeeping mission winding down after 35 years. The conflict is Africa's longest running. Ah, Ba'ath al-Minarti. The UN mission came here at a particular point in time and remained for 35 years. It neither added anything to Morocco, nor took anything away from it. Thank you very much. It has not achieved anything regarding the very issue it was originally established to address. . . We're here in our homeland, alongside our king, . who provides us with everything we need. Thank God. For pro-independence Sahrawis, the anniversary marks the beginning of Morocco's occupation and the displacement of thousands, leaving families divided between Moroccan-controlled cities and refugee camps in Algeria. I would like to thank the United States of America for voting in favor of the autonomy proposal, as well as the 11 other countries that supported the initiative. The Sahara issue was settled in 1963 at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Then came the Madrid Accords, followed by Spain's withdrawal from our southern provinces. He says. The UN mission in Western Sahara is winding down after its mandate expired on October 31st. Morocco controls most of the territory while the Polisario Front seeks independence.