5 Facts You Should Know about the Green

March
Rabat - Today, the Moroccan people celebrates the anniversary of the Green March.

By
Aziz Allilou
-
Aziz Allilou is a student at the Higher Institute of Media and Communications (ISIC) and
Morocco World News correspondent in Rabat.
Nov 6, 2014

Rabat – Today, the Moroccan people celebrates the anniversary of the Green March.

The Green March is commemorated annually to immortalize the story of the 350,000
Moroccans who marched into Morocco’s southern provinces in the Sahara as well as the
millions of Moroccans who were on that march with their hearts to free the territory from
the Spanish rule.

On 6 November 1975, over 350,000 Moroccans from all walks of life marched into the Sahara
to reclaim Morocco’s sovereignty over an integral part of its territory. Unfortunately, to this
day, this continues to be subject to unfounded claims.

That peaceful march constituted a watershed event in Morocco’s recent history and on this
occasion, Morocco World News wants to present to you five facts that you should know about
the Green March.
1 – The Southern Province meant to Spain’s King more than what all of Morocco meant
to France

In 1956, Morocco obtained its independence from France and thus, Spain was forced to
abandon the Northern region of Morocco which was under its control. During the years
leading up to the 70s, King Hassan II of Morocco had been attempting to negotiate with
General Francisco Franco of Spain about the southern province, which was still under Spanish
rule. However, the negotiations were futile.

In an interview, Former Moroccan Ambassador to Algeria, Ahmed Senoussi recounted that

Hassan II told the Moroccan delegation after he concluded a meeting with Franco in Madrid
that ‘’dialogue with him (Franco) resembles dialogue with a deaf rock.’’

‘’This proves that the Moroccan Sahara represented to General Franco greater importance
compared to what the importance Morocco represented to France, since Franco was using the
Moroccan Sahara as a base to control the reins of power in Spain,’’ Senoussi explained.

2 – Thanks to the 1975 Green March, Morocco freed, not occupied, the southern
province

People who sympathize with the Polisario often claim that Morocco is illegally occupying the
Sahara since 1975; they claim that the Polisario is fighting for their independence and that
Algeria supports the Polisario because the principle of self-determination is one of the tenets
of its foreign policy. The truth is far from these claims. The Polisario is a pure creation of
Algeria, and without Algeria’s substantial financial, political and diplomatic support, it
wouldn’t have come into being in the first place.

Moreover, to say that a country is under occupation implies the existence of that country
before it was occupied by any foreign country. Yet the Sahara had never existed as a country
but has always been part of Morocco and its people part of the Moroccan people.. Before that
period, and since 1957, the only country that laid claim to this territory was Morocco‘.

3 – The Green March was Hassan II’s idea

King Hassan II of Morocco wrote in his book, Memory of a King that in 1975, that he spent
the night before the anniversary of the revolution of the king and people, which is celebrated
annually on August 20th, thinking of what to say in his speech to nation on that occasion.

“Suddenly, at midnight, an idea pierced my mind like a spear,’’ Hassan II wrote. ‘’I saw
thousands of citizens demonstrating in the big cities in order to demand the restoration of the
Moroccan Sahara. Thus, I said why don’t we mobilize thousands of Moroccans in a peaceful
march into the Southern province!’’ Hassan II explained.

4 – King Hassan II kept the green March a secret

The king then started planning for the Green March. He was keen on keeping the march a
secret, and told only his top five loyal generals, Bennani, El Kadiri, Ziani, Zeriab and
Benslimane, after they all took the oath to keep it a secret.

According to Senoussi, Hassan II lied to him in order to keep the green march a secret.
‘’During the last week of October 1975, I happened to meet in Rabat an old Jewish friend of
mine who used to study with me in Paris. He asked me if we were readying ourselves for war.
I answered him in the negative. Then he asked me again why Morocco bought over 350
thousand military camping blankets,’’ Senoussi said.

That night Senoussi was invited to have dinner at the royal palace along with several other
politicians and high ranking officers in the Moroccan army. Then, he decided to ask Hassan II
about what his friend told him.

‘’When I asked HM if buying that big quantity of military camping blankets meant that we
were going to war, HM explained to me that Morocco decided to buy 350 thousandblankets in
one year because it was cheaper than buying 30 thousand blankets every year,’’ Senoussi
added.

‘’At first, I thought his words made sense, but I found out later that the 350 thousand blankets
were bought for the 350,000Moroccans who took part in the green march, and that HM had
lied to me in order to keep it a secret,’’ he concluded.

5 – The Youngest participant in the Green March was only 16 years old

He was only 16 years old when he went to an office that recruits volunteers willing to take
part in the green march. His name is Bouchaib Elouazzani. He was the youngest volunteer
who took part in the green march. He left home although his parents did not allow him to, and
made his way to the Southern Province along with 350,000 others, armed with the Qur’an and
their faith.

‘’I joined the crowds without the authorization of my parents… The departure day was a
historical day for all the volunteers. I met persons from all walks of life; all what brought us
together was the love of our country and our king,’’ Bouchaib Elouazzaini said in an
interview.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published,
rewritten or redistributed.

The Green March: An Eternal Day in

Moroccans Memories
Marrakech - Every Nov. 6, Moroccans celebrate the anniversary of the Green March, the
largest, longest, and most peaceful march anywhere in the world. The day is a national
holiday in Morocco, during which Moroccans recall the extraordinary events of the Green
March.

By
El Houssaine Naaim
-
Nov 6, 2014

Marrakech – Every Nov. 6, Moroccans celebrate the anniversary of the Green March, the
largest, longest, and most peaceful march anywhere in the world. The day is a national
holiday in Morocco, during which Moroccans recall the extraordinary events of the Green
March.

In mid-October 1975, the International Court of Justice at The Hague declared that there
existed legal ties of allegiance between the Moroccan throne and the Sahrawi people.

“The materials and information presented to the Court show the existence, at the time of
Spanish colonization, of legal ties of allegiance between the Sultan of Morocco and some of
the tribes living in the territory of Western Sahara.”

Following this ruling, the late Hassan II announced the organization of the Green March, on
Oct. 16, 1975, to retrieve the Moroccan southern provinces from Spanish colonialism.

“Tomorrow, God willing, you will pierce the border. Tomorrow, God willing, the Green
March will be launched. Tomorrow, God willing, you will step on a part of your territory,
touch the sand of your Sahara, and kiss the soil of your beloved nation,” said the King in an
address to Moroccans who had volunteered to participate in the march on November 5, 1975.

Afterward, about 350,000 Moroccans, women and men, headed toward the Sahara, and met in
Tarfaia.
All the participants went in an atmosphere of celebration and belief in God and patriotic
values. Along the way, People sang joyfully as they made a pilgrimage to a part of their
country to show the world that all Moroccans are one when it comes to their country.

In God they trusted, as the Moroccans marched carrying Qurans and green flags, to show the
world that all Moroccans were for peace, and that they would take back their rights
peacefully, avoiding any damage or useless wars.

They sang the song “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar… Ferhi y’a ard bladi ard’ak seb’hat
hurra”or“God is the greatest, God is the Greatest …May you (Land of Morocco) be cheerful,
you are free.”

Thus, Moroccans, with the belief in their national issue, could have what they were
determined to realize, as they contributed successfully to the liberation of the Moroccan
Sahara.
On November 14, 1975, just a few days after the launch of the Green March, Morocco, Spain
and Mauritania, signed an agreement in Madrid, whereby Morocco regained its southern
provinces.

The agreement was approved by -al jamaah- the only authentic representative of the Sahrawi
people.

Al jamaah confirmed in a meeting on February 26, 1976, in Laâyoune, that the Sahara is
Moroccan. Therefore, the agreement put an end to the Spanish presence in the Moroccan
territories.

Organizing the Green March was not that difficult for Morocco, as the king, in an interview
with the French journalist, Eric Laurent, said:“Sending Moroccans to the Green March was
not the most difficult thing, how they would get back to their cities when they were asked to,
systematically and in an organized way, believing that the triumph was in their side, was more
challenging.”

“That’s what happened,”the king added.

After this historical event, people returned home bringing with them their strong value of
patriotism, and Moroccan flags. The new generations of Moroccans found those flags they
brought which are still at every Moroccan’s house. Parents and grandparents always told us
that they were the Green March flags.

They told us, also, that the people who could not participate in the March stayed by their
radios as the March went on, following the news about the March, and standing beside the
routes waiting for their families and relatives to come back. They stayed there the whole day
celebrating and playing folk music, while they were waiting for them.

The Green March remains the pride of all Moroccans, and a lesson to the world in promoting
peace. It remains a symbol of determination, courage, and sacrifice for the sake of the nation,
Morocco from Tangier to Elgouira.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published,
rewritten or redistributed

Thanks to the 1975 Green March, Morocco freed the southern province from the
Spanish rule.