Thousands of Moroccans flooded the streets of Rabat, singing and dancing to celebrate the UN Security Council’s backing of Morocco’s Western Sahara plan.
Thousands of singing, dancing Moroccans took to the streets in the capital Rabat late Friday to celebrate a UN Security Council vote backing the country’s plans for the Western Sahara, disputed for half a century.
“The Sahara is Moroccan and always has been!” chanted the joyful crowds, alternating the rhythm with the national anthem and other patriotic songs.
“We are so proud, it’s our country, our cause,” 40-year-old Sanae, who declined to give her last name, beamed to AFP news agency with her two daughters beside her.
Red balloons floated from balconies, where people filmed and applauded, while motorists honked their horns incessantly.
A few steps away, Hiba, 15, flag in hand, dressed in red and green — the national colours — proudly declared: “Morocco fought for 50 years, this is a victory!”
The Western Sahara has provoked decades of conflict between Rabat and the Sahrawi independence movement Polisario, backed by Algeria.
A former Spanish colony, it is largely controlled by Morocco, but has been claimed for decades by the Polisario.
On Friday the Security Council voted to support a plan put forward by Morocco that would see the vast, mineral-rich region have autonomy under Morocco’s sole sovereignty.
In Smara, a city in the disputed territory, residents set off fireworks as soon as the vote was announced, singing and dancing in the streets to the rhythm of folk music, according to AFP.
Residents were joined by local representatives, including the governor, in the street celebrations, while Moroccan carpets were rolled out for the festivities.
A speech lauding the Security Council’s decision by King Mohammed VI, in which he described it as “historic”, was broadcast outdoors.
The festive atmosphere also gripped Tangier, in the north of Morocco.
There, live broadcasts from local media showed processions of people dancing to the sound of trumpets.
