For several decades, the question of the Moroccan Sahara has been one of the major issues in the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Morocco, as well as a matter of stability and national identity. It is part of a historical and legal framework that goes beyond the simple logic of territorial claims: it touches the very heart of national sovereignty, territorial unity, and the collective memory of Morocco. From the moment of independence in 1956, the Kingdom affirmed its desire to reintegrate the southern territories, which had remained under Spanish rule since the late 19th century. This claim was always based on the continuity of the Makhzen’s political and religious authority over the Saharan tribes, attested to by acts of allegiance (bay’a) and official historical documents. The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of October 16, 1975, confirmed the existence of ties of allegiance between the Sultan of Morocco and the tribes of Western Sahara, rejecting the terra nullius thesis (ICJ, 1975). This opinion was one of the cornerstones of the Green March, a symbol of Moroccan pacifism and popular support for a just national cause. Since then, Moroccan diplomacy has consistently combined historical legitimacy, political realism, and international commitment, resulting in increasing recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.

Today, through the explicit recognition of several world powers and the opening of more than 30 consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla, the Moroccan identity of the Sahara has become an irreversible geopolitical reality.