Madrid is preparing to declassify sensitive documents regarding the Sahara and the Green March.
The Spanish government is moving towards enacting a new law that will end the state secrets law in place since 1968. This change will pave the way for the release of thousands of historical documents, including files pertinent to the decolonization phase of Western Sahara and the behind-the-scenes withdrawal of Spain from the region.
The anticipated documents will include precise details about the Green March organized by Morocco in 1975 to reclaim its southern territories, along with information related to the regional and international communications and positions that accompanied this pivotal event.
The legislative initiative being pursued by the coalition government led by Pedro Sánchez aims to allow historians and researchers access to documents that have long remained classified, potentially reshaping many narratives surrounding a critical era in Moroccan history and the region.
In Rabat, observers view this step as an important sovereign and moral gain, reinforcing the official Moroccan narrative regarding the legitimacy of the Green March, while revealing the regional and international collusions that contributed to exacerbating the fabricated dispute over Western Sahara.
Moroccan diplomacy is expected to leverage these developments to strengthen its case before the international community, highlighting the peaceful nature of the march that saw hundreds of thousands of Moroccan citizens participating at a defining moment of national unity.
Moroccan actors believe that declassifying these documents represents not just an opportunity to correct the historical narrative but also serves as a strategic tool in the context of the political and media advocacy the kingdom is undertaking in defense of its territorial integrity.
