Morocco celebrates, on November 16, the 68th anniversary of the return from the exile of the late His Majesty King Mohammed V and members of the illustrious Royal Family in 1955, an important date in the history of the Kingdom’s quest for independence.
This event marked the end of the protectorate era and the dawn of an era of freedom and independence. The return from exile of His Late His Majesty King Mohammed V was a glorious moment for the Moroccan people, who fought relentlessly to free themselves from the yoke of French and Spanish colonialism.
Following the exile of the Sultan of Morocco on August 20, 1953, the Moroccan people led a patriotic struggle that successfully ended with the triumphant return of the legitimate Sultan to Morocco, after two years, two months, and 27 days spent away from home, a return that was duly celebrated by jubilant crowds who welcomed the Father of the Nation and the first architect of independence.
The French authorities were subsequently forced to enter into dialogue with Morocco to finally end the protectorate era that was faced with the determination of the Throne and its people.
This Moroccan victory was also the start of a new beginning in the construction of a new Morocco, proud of its history and resolutely turned towards the future.
Following in the footsteps of the architect of independence, the Late His Majesty King Hassan II committed to strengthening the Kingdom’s national unity, notably with the recovery of the provinces of Sidi Ifni (June 30, 1969) and Oued Eddahab (August 14, 1979). The keystone of this glorious achievement of territorial integrity was the Green March of November 6, 1975, a memorable and peaceful epic that remains enshrined in history as a model for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Since the early years of His reign, the Green March’s initiator, the late His Majesty King Hassan II, had recognized the importance of building an independent, solid, and resilient national economy, launching the “dam policy” in 1966, a project that had become the focus of His reign.
In the same spirit, His Majesty King Mohammed VI is also continuing in this journey armed with commitment and faith and the constant defense and advocation of Morocco’s territorial integrity and the Moroccanity of the Sahara through the launch of several development projects and initiatives in the Kingdom’s southern provinces in particular and across Morocco in general.
In commemorating the 68th anniversary of the return of the late His Majesty King Mohammed V from exile, Moroccans are honoring this historic triumphant return of the Father of the Nation and the kick-start of the Great Jihad era.