Morocco marks recovery of Oued-Eddahab, a historic turning-point in the process to perfect territorial integrity
Morocco, History, 8/14/2001

Moroccans are marking this August 14 the 22nd anniversary of the return to the motherland of Oued-Eddahab, as a historic turning point in the process to perfect Morocco's territorial integrity.

The event also bears evidence to the unshakable bonds linking the province and the rest of the kingdom and the ever-confirmed attachment of the province populations to the territorial unity and the Alawit throne. The recovery of Oued-Eddahab crowned a long battle waged by Morocco to perfect its territorial integrity, started on November 23, 1957 when the southern Ait-Baamarane tribes stood up against colonization, leading to the liberation of Tarfaya in 1958, Sidi Ifni in 1969 and other parts of the Sahara after the glorious Green March in 1975. The patriotic challenge showed to the whole world that all Moroccans are determined to defend their homeland, its sovereignty, territorial integrity, defying all divisions and partitions imposed by the colonial authorities and plots hatched by enemies of the kingdom territorial integrity.

On August 14, 1979 when Mauritania announced it is withdrawing from what was known as Tiris El Gharbia, the population of Oued Eddahab, represented by their notables, theologians from various tribes, traveled to the capital city of Rabat to present to the late King Hassan II their oath of allegiance and reiterate their attachment to the Alawit throne, producing to the world opinion evidence that the Sahara has always been Moroccan and it will remain Moroccan territory.

The attachment links were further highlighted during the visit on March 4, 1980 by the late sovereign to Dakhla, major city in the Oued-Eddahab province. The visit gave a new impetus to the march for national unity and marked an encounter between the unifier of his faithful subjects who have been suffering for several years under the yoke of the colonial policy which sought to break all links uniting them to the homeland.

Following the path traced by his late father, King Mohammed VI has, in the first year of his reign, renewed, the call launched by the late King Hassan II to those who have been led astray to return to the forgiving and merciful homeland.

22 years after it was recovered by Morocco, the province emerges now as a modern region, enjoying high-quality infrastructures, roads, ports, hospitals, schools. After a long period of an exclusion policy adopted by the colonial authorities, a dynamic construction and modernization process is undertaken in the Oued-Eddahab province under the aegis of king Mohammed VI.

Now the region has a 1,723 km-long road network and in view of the importance of fishing for local population, existing port infrastructures were revamped while another port, considered as the second largest port in Morocco was built. The region's shore extends over 780 km and the thriving fishing sector, provides jobs to 28,805 persons. The 70 fish and cephalopod freezing units have increased their production capacity to 1,930 tons and storage capacity to 10,689 tons. Coastal and traditional fishing activities produce 56,851 tons.

Regarding agriculture, several measures were taken in the province that counts one million hectares of arable land to ensure irrigation and modern farming machinery.

The achievements accomplished in the region are another challenge taken by Morocco after the battle to recover this region was won. The aim is to break the isolation of the region and secure a lasting development to make of the Lagouira-Oued Eddahab region Morocco's gate to the African continent.

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