Morocco marked the 46th anniversary of recovering Oued Eddahab province Thursday with ceremonies emphasizing the region’s historical ties to the kingdom and honoring resistance veterans who fought for territorial reunification.
High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters and Liberation Army Members Mustapha El Ktiri addressed a gathering in Dakhla, highlighting the August 14, 1979 recovery as testament to Saharan tribes’ “unbreakable attachment” to their Moroccan identity and the Alaouite throne.
The province’s return followed a decades-long struggle for territorial integrity initiated by King Mohammed V after Morocco’s 1956 independence from French and Spanish colonial rule. Southern province populations had traveled to Rabat in 1955 to renew allegiance oaths and affirm commitment to complete territorial reunification.
El Ktiri recalled major military victories against Spanish and French forces, including battles at Oum El Achar, Merguala and Souihat in 1956, followed by engagements at Ait Baamran in 1957 and Dcheira in 1958. These confrontations preceded the progressive recovery of Moroccan territories: Tarfaya in April 1958, Sidi Ifni in June 1969, and the southern provinces following the November 1975 Green March.
When Oued Eddahab returned to Moroccan sovereignty, tribal leaders, religious scholars and notables traveled to Rabat to present formal allegiance to King Hassan II, reaffirming constitutional bonds despite what officials described as adversaries’ attempts to undermine national unity.
The commemoration included honors for five resistance veterans from Oued Eddahab province and distribution of financial assistance to 45 beneficiaries from resistance fighters’ families.
The event reinforced messages of continued mobilization behind King Mohammed VI for preserving territorial integrity and consolidating national achievements.