Speakers of House of Representatives and House of Councilors Inform Regional and International Parliamentary Organizations and Unions of Actual Situation at Guergarate Border Crossing Between Morocco and Mauritania (Joint Communique)

Upon the latest developments at the border crossing between the Kingdom of Morocco and the brotherly Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and following the great interest and concern and close follow-up of the nation’s representatives to the situation with feelings of honor and pride of our country’s wise, pacific, and resolute response to these developments, and as part of utilizing parliamentary diplomacy to raise the just, rightful, and sincere voice of Morocco to all regional and international parliamentary organizations and fora, the Speakers of the two Houses of the Moroccan Parliament Habib El Malki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Abdelhakim Benchamach, Speaker of the House of Councilors, corresponded with all the regional and international parliamentary organizations and unions to inform them of the actual situation in the region, and of the rightfulness, wisdom, and pacific nature of the non-offensive Moroccan intervention in the region.

After confirming the sacrality of the foremost national cause, the cause of the Moroccan Sahara, which the historical, legal, and actual legitimacy confirmed the credibility of the Moroccan position towards it; a position accompanied by constant national consensus behind His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify him, the messages of the Speakers of the two Houses of the Parliament, addressed to the presidents of the various regional and international parliamentary organizations and unions, presented the chronology and series of dangerous and unacceptable provocations of the Polisario militia after their unlawful incursion, since October 21^st, to the Guergarate border crossing in the Moroccan Sahara, and its terrorizing criminal actions to hinder the smooth movement of individuals and goods, and other similar transgressions in the last four years, which were the subject of several warnings by the UN Secretary-General, in clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions that called the Polisario to “put an end” to these actions that aim at disrupting stability in the region.

The same correspondence affirmed that Morocco, and after abiding by utmost restraint and providing space for finding a diplomatic solution through the good offices of the United Nations, did not have a choice but to assume its responsibilities and respect its competences and act within its rightful duty, in full alignment with the international legislation, by protecting the border crossing between the Kingdom of Morocco and the neighboring Islamic Republic of Mauritania and putting an end to the disruptions caused by the terrorizing and subversive actions of the armed Polisario militia, and reinstating the freedom of movement of individuals and goods, which was reflected in the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the FAR, to reinstate the freedom of movement at the Guergarate border crossing, and securing and opening it for movement of people and goods in a pacific way, without firing a shot or threatening the safety of civilians.

In its correspondence, the Moroccan Parliament stressed that the Kingdom of Morocco, as per what His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God preserve him, confirmed on Monday, November 16^th, in a phone talk with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, will continue to take the necessary actions to instate order and ensure the safe and smooth movement of people and goods in the region located in the borders between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. His Majesty the King also confirmed that the Kingdom of Morocco will remain supportive of the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in this political process, which should be resumed on the basis of clear criteria and engagement of the real parties to this regional conflict, in order to find a realistic and achievable solution under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco.

After extending heartfelt gratitude and consideration towards the positions of the friendly and brotherly countries refuting the disruption of the unity of Morocco and its stability and supporting its pacific actions aiming at instating smooth movement of individuals and goods and reinstating security and stability at the Morocco-Mauritania borders and the whole region, the Speakers of the two Houses of the Parliament affirmed through these messages that informing the presidents of the regional and international parliamentary organizations and unions comes as a representation of the values of dialogue and consultation, as culmination of the long-standing strong relations linking the Moroccan Parliament to these organizations, and as a recall of the brotherly and noble positions taken by a number of these bodies by expressing their full support to the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Nations towards finding a pacific and final solution to the artificial conflict around the Moroccan Sahara, in a way that preserves the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco.