Marouan Bousyf : University professor, Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences, Kenitra
First and foremost, I would like to express my happiness as a proud Moroccan who loves his country and respects its monarchy, celebrating this historic and legitimate victory for Morocco marked by the international recognition of its sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara.
On October 31, 2025, the United Nations issued a historic resolution No. 2797 putting an end to much speculation regarding the adoption of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole and fundamental solution to the ongoing dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
The entire world witnessed what took place in the Security Council during the vote on the Autonomy Proposal presented by Morocco and the resulting resolution, which confirmed that autonomy for the Moroccan Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty is the realistic and sound legal solution for achieving security and peace in the region. The resolution also extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until October 31, 2026. MINURSO was originally established by Council Resolution 690 (1991) in accordance with the UN–Organization of African Unity settlement proposals accepted in 1988 by both Morocco and the Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y de Río de Oro (Frente POLISARIO). Those settlement proposals, as approved by the Council, provided for a transitional period in preparation for a referendum in which the people of Western Sahara would choose between independence and integration with Morocco. Although the referendum has never taken place, MINURSO has continued to perform the tasks entrusted to it by the Council.
All Moroccan citizens expressed their joy upon hearing the UN Resolution, which was followed by a speech from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in which he conveyed the Kingdom of Morocco’s satisfaction with the UN decision and extended gratitude to the countries that supported the idea of autonomy for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty—foremost among them the United States of America and its President, Donald Trump.
In this brief article, we do not intend to analyze the contents of Security Council Resolution 2797 or to discuss in detail what the King said in his speech on October 31, as we believe that both are clear and explicit, based on a fundamental idea: the autonomy of the Moroccan Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty is the realistic and sound legal solution to achieve security and peace in the Sahara region.
With this shared joy between the King and the people, we would like to clarify certain issues from our perspective that raise doubts following the issuance of UN Resolution 2797. These are matters that, in our view, are not immediately evident to everyone and instead require a careful and critical political analysis. Our aim is to foster a logical understanding of the political, economic, and social situation in the Moroccan Sahara.
Accordingly, we raise several questions: Why did the United Nations extend the mandate of MINURSO until October 31, 2026, when many were expecting a maximum of three to six months? Is this duration not long compared to the conviction that autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only and fundamental solution to the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara? Or does this extension reflect the United Nations’ acknowledgment of the complexity of the situation in the region? How will the Kingdom of Morocco manage the time pressure to implement and elaborate on the autonomy proposal originally presented in 2007?
Moreover, will Morocco’s historic and legitimate victory—the international recognition of its sovereignty over the Sahara—bring tangible economic or social benefits to Moroccan citizens? Or will it remain merely a geographic change with no real impact on citizens’ purchasing power, daily wages, or the limited logistical and infrastructural capacities of hospitals and educational institutions?
Will this historic day, which we are witnessing as Moroccans, mark a structural shift in how our country approaches governance and accountability? Will the current and future governments keep pace with the national success achieved under the leadership of our wise and patriotic King, a seasoned diplomat deeply devoted to his country? Or will the logic of prioritizing private interests over the national interest continue to prevail, even after this historic and national victory for our nation?
These are some of the pressing questions through which we seek to explore Morocco’s future after this recognition and victory—questions that concern many Moroccan citizens following the affirmation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty over the Sahara and the implications of this on their economic, social, and political conditions. No one can yet provide definitive answers, but we all wait with optimism and hope for the dawn of a new Morocco after 2026.
