Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the situation in El Guerguerat

2020.11.13

The operation carried out by the Royal Armed Forces on Friday morning, upon the Very High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff, in order to restore free movement at the El Guergarate crossing, took place in a peaceful manner, without clashes or threat to the safety of civilians.

This operation, aimed at putting definitively an end to the unacceptable behavior of the Polisario, comes after exhausting all the chances for a diplomatic solution through the good offices of the United Nations.

In 2016 and 2017, contacts between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, had led to a first outcome. However, the Polisario continued its acts of provocation and illegal intrusions in this zone.

After the intrusion of October 21, 2020, and while supporting the action by the Secretary General, the Sovereign had stated in a letter to Guterres that: "The status quo cannot be prolonged. If this situation continues, the Kingdom of Morocco, in the respect of its attributions, by virtue of its responsibilities and in full compliance with international legality, reserves the right to act, at the time and in the manner it deems necessary, in order to safeguard the status of the zone, restore free movement and preserve the dignity of Moroccans."

Morocco remains firmly attached to the preservation of the ceasefire, noting that the operation carried out by the Royal Armed Forces aims precisely to consolidate the ceasefire by preventing the recurrence of such serious and inadmissible acts that violate the military agreement and threaten regional security and stability.