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What happened next?Continue in this file · Moroccan Sahara: from the roots of the conflict to the 2026 negotiations
File · Moroccan Sahara: from the roots of the conflict to the 2026 negotiations

At M’Hamid, Mohammed V asserts Morocco’s Sahara claim

In his 25 February 1958 speech at M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Mohammed V asserts Morocco’s determination to continue recovering its Sahara.

The speech links national unity, ties with Saharan populations and the tradition of royal visits. It is a primary source for Morocco’s position following independence in 1956.

This argument rests on historical continuity and bay‘a. The text establishes the position and its political significance; it should not be treated as an international ruling on territorial status. Predating Polisario’s creation, it helps explain Rabat’s presentation of the issue as completion of decolonisation and territorial integrity.

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