Morocco unveils legal roadmap to end Western Sahara dispute

RABAT – Morocco has transformed its long-standing initiative to resolve the Western Sahara conflict into a fully-fledged legal framework, signalling a new phase in its efforts to assert sovereignty over the territory.

The latest version, a 40-page document prepared under the supervision of royal advisers on the instructions of King Mohammed VI, moves beyond a general negotiation proposal to a detailed roadmap for governance, legal structures and regional administration.

The initiative comes in response to United Nations guidance reaffirming negotiated solutions as the sole basis for resolving the dispute. According to Spanish newspaper Atalayar, the Moroccan proposal has been formally submitted to Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario Front, which are considered essential parties to the conflict.

The plan employs a “exclusive-list” constitutional approach, a sophisticated method designed to clearly delineate the powers of the central state and regional authorities without overlap.

Central authority with regional autonomy

Under the proposed framework, Morocco retains sole authority over matters crucial to national unity, including defence, strategic security, foreign policy, currency, and nationality.

At the same time, the plan grants the Western Sahara regions extensive control over day-to-day governance, encompassing economic development, fisheries, industry, tourism, regional planning, social services, water and energy management and cultural affairs.

Central to the initiative is the safeguarding and promotion of Hassaniya identity, an integral component of Morocco’s national heritage, reflecting the distinctive cultural and linguistic traditions of the Sahara shaped by the Beni Hassan Bedouin tribes and their historical interaction with indigenous Berber and sub-Saharan African communities.

The plan envisions a modern democratic model that respects local traditions. It establishes a regional parliament with “dual legitimacy”: one segment elected directly and another representing Sahrawi tribes, ensuring the inclusion of community elders, youth and women through mandatory quotas.

A regional prime minister, appointed by the king, would hold broad powers over appointments and budgetary management, while remaining accountable to the regional parliament. This arrangement seeks to guarantee constitutional loyalty and prevent conflicts between institutional authorities.

Judicial and financial oversight

The initiative proposes the creation of regional courts, covering primary, appellate and higher levels, to adjudicate local disputes, with the national Constitutional Court retaining final authority to ensure legal cohesion.

Economically, the plan introduces a financial system designed to attract investment while ensuring fair wealth distribution. Regional authorities would have the right to levy local taxes and fees on natural resource exploitation, while a national “balance fund” would support major projects across Morocco. Foreign investments would be subject to dual oversight, regional and national, to protect economic security and ensure local communities benefit from revenue.

Addressing humanitarian concerns

The Moroccan framework also proposes concrete solutions for the protracted situation in the Tindouf camps. It outlines mechanisms for registration, data collection, and facilitating the voluntary return of Sahrawis, alongside reintegration programs for former combatants, with organised amnesty and full political and economic participation for returnees.

The plan reaffirms that Morocco’s sovereignty will remain intact, including the retention of national symbols such as the flag and anthem, and unequivocally rules out any interpretation favouring independence.

By adapting successful international models, from Spain and Greenland to France’s Noumea Accord, while reflecting Morocco’s unique realities, the initiative presents what the kingdom argues is the only viable path to ending the artificially-prolonged regional dispute.

The new legal and financial clarity transforms the concept of autonomy from a political slogan into a practical, implementable institutional reality, providing both Moroccan sovereignty and local self-governance under a framework of dignity, stability and prosperity.

The initiative has already attracted significant international attention. Observers note that Morocco is shifting from a phase of managing the conflict to actively resolving it, leveraging economic development and pragmatic diplomacy to consolidate territorial unity. Analysts describe this approach as the product of a long-term, measured royal strategy, blending political realism with social and economic progress.