📍 Rabat, Morocco — November 4, 2025
In a symbolic and strategic move, King Mohammed VI of Morocco announced that October 31 will become a new national holiday — “Unity Day” (Aid Al Wahda) — to be celebrated annually from 2026 onwards. The decision follows the recent approval by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of UN Security Council Resolution 2797/2025, which described Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the disputed Western Sahara region as the most feasible solution.
A Diplomatic Turning Point
The Western Sahara conflict has been Africa’s longest‑running territorial dispute, beginning in the 1970s after Spain’s withdrawal. Morocco’s close to total control of the territory, and the rival Polisario Front backed by Algeria, have maintained stalemate for decades. The UNSC resolution reflected a significant shift by not only renewing the mandate of the UN mission in the region (MINURSO) but also accepting Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan as a basis for negotiations.
In Morocco’s royal communiqué, the new holiday is described as a “unifying occasion for citizens to reaffirm attachment to the Kingdom’s sacred values and legitimate rights.”
Unity Day: Symbol and Substance
Alongside the declaration, the King also announced that his official public speeches will henceforth be limited to two events annually — Throne Day and the opening of Parliament — though he retains the right to address the nation “at any time … deemed appropriate.”
At the heart of the holiday is a message directed not just domestically but regionally: in his address to Sahrawi residents of the Tindouf camps in Algeria, the King invited them to “seize this historic opportunity to return” and assured them of full equality as Moroccan citizens.
Regional Ripples and Reactions
While Morocco and its government hailed the decision as a milestone for national consolidation, reactions elsewhere were more cautious. The Polisario Front rejected the resolution’s implications, describing it as legitimizing “military occupation.” Meanwhile, Algeria’s UN ambassador criticized the text as insufficient.
Observers say the holiday is not simply ceremonial but part of Morocco’s broader diplomatic strategy — transforming decades of contest into a narrative of sovereignty, development and national identity.
What Comes Next?
For Morocco, Unity Day marks more than a date on the calendar — it embeds the autonomy resolution into state ritual and public consciousness. For Western Sahara and its people, however, questions remain: how will autonomy be implemented, how will local governance evolve, and how will settlement of refugee communities be handled?
“The time has come for a united Morocco extending from Tangier to Lagouira,” the King declared in his announcement.
The world will watch whether Unity Day becomes a true anchor of peace and reconciliation — or a symbol of a still‑unresolved conflict.
