Moroccans mark 50th anniversary of Green March into Western Sahara

Morocco is marking the 50th anniversary of the historic Green March, a pivotal mass demonstration on 6 November 1975 that paved the way for Morocco’s control over the disputed Western Sahara territory. The crossing of what is now referred to as the Southern Provinces has been commemorated across the kingdom with processions, exhibitions and public addresses underlining the event’s significance for national unity.

This year’s anniversary comes at a moment of diplomatic breakthrough for Morocco. On 31 October 2025, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, which for the first time publicly acknowledged Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan for Western Sahara as “a serious and credible” basis for settlement, while notably omitting a referendum on independence, a longstanding demand of the Polisario Front.

During the memorial events, Morocco’s king, Mohammed VI, described the anniversary as a decisive moment in the country’s modern history, coinciding with the diplomatic momentum secured at the United Nations. He stated that the development represented a new chapter in “consolidating the Moroccaness of the Sahara”.

The Green March involved around 350,000 unarmed Moroccan civilians who entered what was then Spanish Sahara carrying Qur’ans and Moroccan flags, backed by the Moroccan armed forces in a tactical bid to speed Spain’s withdrawal. While not a military invasion in the usual sense, it was a powerful act of mass mobilization that shifted the geopolitical status of the region.

Spain signed the Madrid Accords later that month, ceding administrative control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania. While Mauritania withdrew in 1979, Morocco eventually consolidated control over the bulk of the territory. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and has pressed for an independence referendum ever since.

The timing of the anniversary is highly symbolic. Analysts suggest Morocco capitalised on the moment to reinforce its autonomy narrative. The U.N. resolution offers a diplomatic advantage: for the first time, a major U.N. body referenced the Moroccan proposal as a viable pathway to resolution. The event thus served as both a commemoration and a strategic statement on the international stage.

For Morocco, the Green March remains a founding moment of national unity and an annual symbol of reclaiming sovereignty. Articles on the subject describe the event as “an extraordinary chapter” in Morocco’s modern history, designed around national identity, royal leadership and territorial integration.

Despite the diplomatic gains, the conflict is far from resolved. Western Sahara remains listed as a non-self-governing territory by the U.N., and the Polisario Front continues to reject autonomy without a full referendum that includes independence as an option.

In recent years the dispute has expanded into geopolitical spheres. Algeria and Morocco’s rivalry, strategic relations with Israel, U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty in 2020, and regional logistics positioning all feed into the broader disputation.

On the ground, Morocco has invested heavily in infrastructure, tourism and economic integration across the southern provinces—Laâyoune, Dakhla and others—to reinforce its control and poise the region as a hub for African-Atlantic connectivity. These efforts are cited by Moroccan officials as proof that the southern provinces are now “a land of inclusive development”.

For the Sahrawi refugee population based in Tindouf (Algeria) and for the Polisario, the anniversary serves as a reminder of the unresolved status of their decades-long struggle. Celebrations were held there to mark 50 years of unity and resistance, offering a parallel narrative of dispossession and resistance.

As Morocco leverages diplomatic endorsement and national commemoration, the coming years will likely focus on the practicalities of implementing the autonomy plan, rebuilding refugee dialogue and securing regional buy-in. But human rights groups, Sahrawi activists and some states caution that Indigenous self-determination cannot be bypassed.

The 50-year milestone therefore stands not just as a celebration of historical achievement for Morocco, but also as a juncture for renewed international engagement, volatile regional dynamics, and a contested future for the people of Western Sahara.

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