Autonomy project for Moroccan Sahara
The understanding of the "Sahara issue" is a necessary pre-condition of better comprehension of the Moroccan kingdom; a trustworthy ally and partner of Canada. This issue poisoned chancelleries all over the world for nearly 35 years
1st of March 2007 in Ritz Carlton Montreal
The understanding of the "Sahara issue" is a necessary pre-condition of better comprehension of the Moroccan kingdom; a trustworthy ally and partner of Canada. This issue poisoned chancelleries all over the world for nearly 35 years and has subsequently hurdled a number of development projects, not only in Morocco but also more broadly in Maghreb, in Sahel and in the Mediterranean basin. Feelings have merely prevailed over reasonable stances when it comes to finding diplomatic solutions; many initiatives –especially those made by the UN - have been unsuccessfully undertaken to release regional tensions since 1974.
Nevertheless, a new initiative had been made public by Moroccan authorities and was about to be delivered to UN Security Council on 30th April 2007. This project was the main topic of a conference whose main protagonist was Mr. Hassan Abouyoub, itinerant ambassador of His Majesty king Mohammed VI.
A slice of History
Mr. Abouyoub started his speech in front of a crowd of 350 people from 15 different nationalities. “Morocco is one of the most ancient States in the world and the one with the most ancient monarchy. Over the centuries, the Moroccan kingdom has turned into a specific model of governance in which the contractual bound between the king and the people is the most important and fundamental institution. Thus, the king is the Commander of the believers and a guardian of the national unity. Notwithstanding the historical turnover’s, these basic principles have remained solid. Even when the European colonial expansion conquered Africa and imposed its way to conquering states with frontiers which constituted the root of the Sahara conflict
- Hassan Abouyoub, Moroccan Ambassador in Canada
