Morocco marks 19th anniversary of recovery of Oued Eddahab
Morocco, Culture, 8/14/1998

Moroccans are celebrating this August 14th the 19th anniversary of the return to the homeland of the southern province of Oued Eddahab from Spanish occupation.

On August 14, 1979, the recovery of this province came to materialize the unity of the country and crown a long struggle for the perfection of Morocco's territorial integrity.

On that day, at the Riad palace in Rabat, a 360 person-strong delegation, was dispatched by the population of the region to renew before King Hassan II the oath of allegiance and their attachment to the Alaouite throne. The sovereign then delivered a historic speech in which he vowed to guarantee their defense and security and endeavor for their well-being.

After the retrieval of the southern Tarfaya province in 1958, the region of Sidi Ifni in 1969, the process was crowned in 1975 by the glorious green march that liberated the southern provinces.

Today, the inhabitants of these provinces are enjoying their rights as Moroccan citizens benefiting from the fruits of the development witnessed in the rest of Morocco.

Although Morocco strongly believes in the legitimacy of its rights over this territory, it accepted the UN peace plan that provided for holding a referendum to determine whether the southern provinces would stand on their own, as claimed by the separatist Polisario front or would stay within Morocco.

Morocco has, thus given evidence that it is determined to close once for all this issue by a referendum that will only the Sahara as Moroccan territory.

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