Morocco’s royal palace has announced that October 31 will become an annual national holiday starting next year, to commemorate the adoption of the latest United Nations Security Council resolution that endorses Rabat’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara. The decision was confirmed in an official statement released on Tuesday.
The resolution — adopted last Friday in New York — reaffirmed the U.N. stance that a “serious, credible and realistic” autonomy framework under Moroccan sovereignty remains “a highly workable and most feasible” political pathway to resolve the decades-long dispute. Western Sahara has been contested since the mid-1970s, when Spain withdrew from the territory, triggering a conflict between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which continues to seek full independence.
Morocco views the U.N. recognition of its autonomy plan as a major diplomatic victory. Over the past five years, Rabat has gained public support from several countries, including major African and Arab states, as well as the United States which formally recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2020.
However, the Polisario movement — supported materially and diplomatically by Algeria — has rejected the autonomy approach, insisting instead on a referendum on self-determination. Peace efforts have repeatedly stalled despite periodic UN-led negotiations involving the parties and neighbouring states.
By elevating October 31 to a national public holiday, Moroccan authorities are signalling the political significance they place on the new resolution, and the broader strategy of consolidating international backing for its sovereignty claim.
Source:Africa Publicity
