"The Green March", 30 years after , by Fernando Arias-Salgado ex- Spanish Ambassador to Morocco.
The relations between Spain and Morocco and the future of the Maghreb will depend on the will of Spain to assume, once and for all, its responsibility as a democratic European country having big national interests in this African region.
Last November the 6th 1975 king Hassan the II of Morocco decided to defy the United Nations and the international legality regarding their principles on decolonisation. He launched a march (the Green March) of 350.000 non armed civilians towards the Western Sahara so as to “recuperate” the territory. This march was organised under the protection of the Moroccan Royal Army. A decision that was personally declared by the monarch in October the 16th 1975, who based it on an arbitrary interpretation of the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Western Sahara, that was publicised the same date.
The ICJ, recognised the existence of judicial relations of « fidelity» (allegiance) between the Sultan of Morocco and some tribes in the territory of Western Sahara in the past, but declared on another hand, in very clear terms, that Morocco and Mauritania have absolutely no sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara.
Consequently, the Court concluded, in paragraph 162 of its opinion, that the resolution 1514 (XV) adopted by the UN’s General Assembly in 1960 on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples must be enforced with a view to decolonise the Western Sahara, and it especially stressed on "the principle of self-determination through the free and authentic expression of the will of the population of the territory".
The UN’s Security Council, solicited by the Spanish Government because of the seriousness of the situation created by the green march, adopted three resolutions then: resolution 377(1975), in October the 22nd; resolution 379 (1975), in November the 02nd, and resolution 380 (1975), in November the 06th the same day of the starting of the march.
In these resolutions, unanimously adopted, the Security Council deplored the launching of the green march and asked for the immediate withdrawal of the participants. In vain, that same day, the march, and in complete violation to the international legality regarding the decolonisation, crossed the borders of the non-self-governing territory that was under Spanish administration.
In November 1975, the Spanish Government, chaired by M. Arias Navarro, while the General (Franco) was in agony, ceded to the Moroccan pressures after a set of negotiations in Agadir and Madrid, and signed a "declaration of principles" in which a temporary Moroccan-Mauritanian administration is installed in Western Sahara to whom Spain would transfer the responsibilities and powers it has over the territory as an administrating power.
By this unilateral decision, which is legally questionable and which excluded the recognition of the right to self-determination of the Saharawi population that was confirmed by the ICJ, the participation of Western Sahara was "falsified" and the abandon of the Saharawi people to their fate between the hands of Moroccans and Mauritanians was passed. In February the 26th 1976 Spain abandoned the temporary administration to put an end to its civil and military presence in the territory.
The tragic consequences of this unilateral decision are known by everybody. A 15 years war waged until the enforcement of the case-fire in September 1991 between Morocco and Polisario Front. Thousands people died and disappeared. Millions dollars uselessly wasted in the sands of the desert. A 2.000 Kms long wall, filed with mines in the two sides, divides the territory from the north to the south. A big party of the Saharawi population was pushed to exile and persecuted. The entire region of the Maghreb lives under a state of political instability and blockage. Thirteen years after, the conflict is still ongoing and the political solution proposed by the UN’s Security Council; known under the name Baker Plan II, is still blocked.
Thinking about the future of the Maghreb, especially the relations between Spain and Morocco, I though it was interesting to go back a little bit to the past so as to remind the declarations of King Hassan II of Morocco to a French journalist, Eric Laurent, ten years ago, which were also reproduced by another journalist, Ignace Dalle, in his recent book in French, "Les trois rois ; la monarchie marocaine de l'indépendance à nos jours" (Three kings; Moroccan Monarchy from independence to the current days). In his statements concerning the green march king Hassan the II, affirmed, according to the mentioned journalist, that "it is a question of a psychological bet. I knew that Franco and his close collaborators are militaries. If they react as real militaries they won’t start fire on 350.000 non armed civilians". The monarch added according to the journalist: "to tell you the truth it was a cruel blackmailing, but no law consider it as illegal".
In the anniversary of these pitiful dates of the Spanish history, in which I think, one of the biggest strategic mistakes of the Spanish foreign policy was made, it will be necessary then to think about our relations with the Maghreb in general and with Morocco in particular. The green march contributed to the consolidation of the Moroccan monarchy represented by King Hassan the II, during international circumstances that were totally different from the current in Spain and in Morocco. Spain could have passed the Sahara to the UN’s temporary administration until the will of the Saharawi population is expressed in a valid way. That was the international legality at the time. The Spanish Government did not respect it. The strategic option of signing the Accords of Madrid in November the 14th 1675 did not bring peace, neither stability nor development to the Maghreb. It did not contribute to facilitate the development of the common interests that exist for geographic reasons between Spain and Morocco. In the future it is not necessary that this situation stay unchangeable. Regarding the new international state of affairs and the situation in the two countries, the political solutions must be democratic and we can not admit any other criteria to legitimise territorial acquisitions based on pretended "historical rights".
The democratic Government of Spain is now chaired by the Secretary General of the PSOE, Mr. Rodriguez Zapatero. It is perhaps the moment to put right, though partly, the damages caused to the Saharawi people by the last Government of the regime of Franco, and this through the support -not only via statements but also with deeds- of the referendum on self-determination in suspension since 1675, which is adopted in all the UN’s resolutions especially in the Settlement Plan, accepted by Morocco and in the Baker Plan II, Morocco continues to reject.
In my personal and professional opinion, besides my experience and knowledge about this question along the last 30 years, the relations between Spain and Morocco and the future of the Maghreb will depend on the Spanish Government’s will to assume, once and for all, its responsibilities as an occidental and European democratic country that has national interests in this African region, to which it should be recalled, Spain belongs geographically and strategically. (SPS)
010/090/666/TRD 081339 nov 05 SPS
The relations between Spain and Morocco and the future of the Maghreb will depend on the will of Spain to assume, once and for all, its responsibility as a democratic European country having big national interests in this African region.
Last November the 6th 1975 king Hassan the II of Morocco decided to defy the United Nations and the international legality regarding their principles on decolonisation. He launched a march (the Green March) of 350.000 non armed civilians towards the Western Sahara so as to “recuperate” the territory. This march was organised under the protection of the Moroccan Royal Army. A decision that was personally declared by the monarch in October the 16th 1975, who based it on an arbitrary interpretation of the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Western Sahara, that was publicised the same date.
The ICJ, recognised the existence of judicial relations of « fidelity» (allegiance) between the Sultan of Morocco and some tribes in the territory of Western Sahara in the past, but declared on another hand, in very clear terms, that Morocco and Mauritania have absolutely no sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara.
Consequently, the Court concluded, in paragraph 162 of its opinion, that the resolution 1514 (XV) adopted by the UN’s General Assembly in 1960 on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples must be enforced with a view to decolonise the Western Sahara, and it especially stressed on "the principle of self-determination through the free and authentic expression of the will of the population of the territory".
The UN’s Security Council, solicited by the Spanish Government because of the seriousness of the situation created by the green march, adopted three resolutions then: resolution 377(1975), in October the 22nd; resolution 379 (1975), in November the 02nd, and resolution 380 (1975), in November the 06th the same day of the starting of the march.
In these resolutions, unanimously adopted, the Security Council deplored the launching of the green march and asked for the immediate withdrawal of the participants. In vain, that same day, the march, and in complete violation to the international legality regarding the decolonisation, crossed the borders of the non-self-governing territory that was under Spanish administration.
In November 1975, the Spanish Government, chaired by M. Arias Navarro, while the General (Franco) was in agony, ceded to the Moroccan pressures after a set of negotiations in Agadir and Madrid, and signed a "declaration of principles" in which a temporary Moroccan-Mauritanian administration is installed in Western Sahara to whom Spain would transfer the responsibilities and powers it has over the territory as an administrating power.
By this unilateral decision, which is legally questionable and which excluded the recognition of the right to self-determination of the Saharawi population that was confirmed by the ICJ, the participation of Western Sahara was "falsified" and the abandon of the Saharawi people to their fate between the hands of Moroccans and Mauritanians was passed. In February the 26th 1976 Spain abandoned the temporary administration to put an end to its civil and military presence in the territory.
The tragic consequences of this unilateral decision are known by everybody. A 15 years war waged until the enforcement of the case-fire in September 1991 between Morocco and Polisario Front. Thousands people died and disappeared. Millions dollars uselessly wasted in the sands of the desert. A 2.000 Kms long wall, filed with mines in the two sides, divides the territory from the north to the south. A big party of the Saharawi population was pushed to exile and persecuted. The entire region of the Maghreb lives under a state of political instability and blockage. Thirteen years after, the conflict is still ongoing and the political solution proposed by the UN’s Security Council; known under the name Baker Plan II, is still blocked.
Thinking about the future of the Maghreb, especially the relations between Spain and Morocco, I though it was interesting to go back a little bit to the past so as to remind the declarations of King Hassan II of Morocco to a French journalist, Eric Laurent, ten years ago, which were also reproduced by another journalist, Ignace Dalle, in his recent book in French, "Les trois rois ; la monarchie marocaine de l'indépendance à nos jours" (Three kings; Moroccan Monarchy from independence to the current days). In his statements concerning the green march king Hassan the II, affirmed, according to the mentioned journalist, that "it is a question of a psychological bet. I knew that Franco and his close collaborators are militaries. If they react as real militaries they won’t start fire on 350.000 non armed civilians". The monarch added according to the journalist: "to tell you the truth it was a cruel blackmailing, but no law consider it as illegal".
In the anniversary of these pitiful dates of the Spanish history, in which I think, one of the biggest strategic mistakes of the Spanish foreign policy was made, it will be necessary then to think about our relations with the Maghreb in general and with Morocco in particular. The green march contributed to the consolidation of the Moroccan monarchy represented by King Hassan the II, during international circumstances that were totally different from the current in Spain and in Morocco. Spain could have passed the Sahara to the UN’s temporary administration until the will of the Saharawi population is expressed in a valid way. That was the international legality at the time. The Spanish Government did not respect it. The strategic option of signing the Accords of Madrid in November the 14th 1675 did not bring peace, neither stability nor development to the Maghreb. It did not contribute to facilitate the development of the common interests that exist for geographic reasons between Spain and Morocco. In the future it is not necessary that this situation stay unchangeable. Regarding the new international state of affairs and the situation in the two countries, the political solutions must be democratic and we can not admit any other criteria to legitimise territorial acquisitions based on pretended "historical rights".
The democratic Government of Spain is now chaired by the Secretary General of the PSOE, Mr. Rodriguez Zapatero. It is perhaps the moment to put right, though partly, the damages caused to the Saharawi people by the last Government of the regime of Franco, and this through the support -not only via statements but also with deeds- of the referendum on self-determination in suspension since 1675, which is adopted in all the UN’s resolutions especially in the Settlement Plan, accepted by Morocco and in the Baker Plan II, Morocco continues to reject.
In my personal and professional opinion, besides my experience and knowledge about this question along the last 30 years, the relations between Spain and Morocco and the future of the Maghreb will depend on the Spanish Government’s will to assume, once and for all, its responsibilities as an occidental and European democratic country that has national interests in this African region, to which it should be recalled, Spain belongs geographically and strategically. (SPS)
010/090/666/TRD 081339 nov 05 SPS
