By Hanan Ezaoui, Community Facilitator in Boujdour, High Atlas Foundation

Marrakech, 15 August 2013: The National Holidays are memories of historical and political events in the Kingdom of Morocco.The Commemoration 34 of Oued Eddahab remembers August, 14 1979 – an important historical date for all Moroccans andparticularly the local people of Oued Eddahab, when the territory of Dakhla of the Moroccan Sahara was officially reunited with the homeland.

At that time, all the senators and leaders of Saharawi tribes went to the late king of Morocco Hassan II to swear allegiance officially to the king and to confirm their national affiliation to the Kingdom of Morocco, and consolidate the principles of the Kingdom.

From 1979 until now, in addition to the senators and the leaders of Sahrawi tribes who swore allegiance, all the Saharawi people living in Dakhla or any other Saharawi city consider the 14^th of August of every year as a very special National Day not only for Sahrawi people but for the whole kingdom of Morocco, from Tangier to Lagouira as well, just like the other National Days.

The Sahrawis of all tribes, without exception, respect the Moroccan National Days including the Commemoration of Ouad Eddahab Day. For the senators and older generations, this Day was a date of beautiful memories as it was an opportunity for them to determine their positive decision, and for Sahrawi youth, it is a great event made by parents and grandparents, from which they learn the importance of nationalism and the national affiliation to the Kingdom of Morocco.

It is also considered a divine historical connection for all Moroccans in all parts of Morocco and in the whole world. Celebrating this holiday is celebrating the unity of the Moroccan territory from Tangier to Lagouira and of Moroccan people everywhere.

For its part, the High Atlas Foundation, with its dedicated facilitation of community planning to implement the people’s priority development projects in the southern province of Boujdour and all the Kingdom, it upholds Morocco’s commitment to the participatory democratic method, and the historic opportunity of unity