Morocco’s Green March at 50: How a 1975 protest reshaped Western Sahara’s fate
Fifty years ago today, a significant event unfolded in Western Sahara. On November 6, 1975, King Hassan II of Morocco initiated the 'Green March', a peaceful demonstration involving thousands of Moroccan civilians marching into the territory to assert Morocco's sovereignty.
The Green March was a response to the International Court of Justice's 1975 ruling that rejected Morocco's and Mauritania's claims to Western Sahara, which had been a Spanish colony since 1884. Spain, facing international pressure, agreed to partition the territory and withdrew in February 1976.
In response to the partition, the Polisario Front, a liberation movement established in 1973, declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The march was followed by a military invasion by Morocco, leading thousands of Sahrawis to flee their homes.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Green March, a pivotal moment in the history of Western Sahara. The event highlighted the complex political landscape of the region, with competing claims to sovereignty and the subsequent displacement of many Sahrawis.
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