Green March anniversary: flag ceremonies, Laayoune rally

Flag-salute ceremonies and public gatherings marked the 51st anniversary of the Green March across the Kingdom on Friday, November 6. Settat and Dakhla held official flag ceremonies, while several hundred people rallied in Laayoune.

In Settat, the provincial headquarters hosted the national flag salute on Friday morning, chaired by the Governor of the province, Mohamed Ali Habouh. The secretary general of the province and the head of the internal affairs division attended, alongside judicial and security officials, heads of external services, elected officials and members of Parliament, representatives of political parties, trade unions and civil society, and provincial staff.

A similar flag ceremony took place at the Wilaya of the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region.

Several hundred people gathered in Laayoune, waving national flags and voicing their support for His Majesty King Mohammed VI and for the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty.

“We have always supported our King and shared his vision. His autonomy initiative is, in our view, the most appropriate proposal to resolve this dispute,” said Layla Choraifi, one of the participants.

Other participants criticised the record of MINURSO, saying its 35 years of presence had failed to move the settlement process forward. Some also welcomed the backing given to the Moroccan autonomy proposal by the United States and eleven other countries.

Set up in 1991, the UN mission was tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and preparing a referendum. Its mandate expired on October 31.

This year’s commemoration coincides with the first anniversary of Unity Day, which a Royal decision set on October 31 following UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, 2025. The Kingdom first presented its autonomy initiative in 2007.

The Green March, a mass peaceful mobilisation, was launched in November 1975 under the late King Hassan II.