Morocco moves to implement autonomy for Western Sahara
King Mohammed VI convenes national consultations to advance autonomy plan, ensuring territorial integrity and political unity across Morocco
RABAT, Morocco (MNTV) — Morocco has launched the implementation phase of its autonomy plan for Western Sahara following the UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 2797 on October 31, which recognized the proposal as the most serious and credible solution to the decades-long Sahrawi dispute.
The resolution, passed without any veto from permanent members, comes after Morocco secured the support of over 120 countries for its 2007 autonomy initiative.
The plan envisages the integration of Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty while granting the region substantial self-governance, leaving foreign and defence policy under the Moroccan state, in line with UN resolutions.
Following the UN endorsement, King Mohammed VI instructed a high-level meeting at the Royal Cabinet in Rabat on November 10, chaired by his advisers Taieb Fassi Fihri, Omar Azziman, and Fouad Ali El Himma.
The session included leaders of national political parties represented in both Houses of Parliament, as well as Interior Minister Abdelaoui Laftit and Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita, to coordinate strategies for implementing the autonomy plan.
The meeting emphasized a participatory approach, with political parties asked to submit detailed proposals within 7–10 days.
The aim is to consolidate national unity, strengthen internal consensus, and define mechanisms for granting Western Sahara autonomous status within Morocco’s institutional framework.
The autonomy plan, under King Mohammed VI’s guidance, seeks to unite all political and social factions to ensure territorial integrity while integrating Sahrawi populations both within the southern provinces and in refugee camps abroad.
The approach replaces the previously considered referendum on independence, an option advocated by the pro-independence Polisario Front and Algeria, which faced logistical and political challenges due to the dispersed Sahrawi population.
Moroccan officials describe the initiative as a historic step toward resolving a long-standing territorial dispute and reaffirming Morocco’s sovereignty while promoting stability and development in the region.
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