In 2007, Morocco proposed an autonomy plan that is considered, according to the majority of world powers, a "serious and credible" basis for a lasting solution to the Sahara conflict. However, beyond diplomatic terms, few public discussions delve into the concrete dimensions of this autonomy. How would it manifest in practice? What institutions, what guarantees, what balances between central power and regional governance?
The autonomy envisaged by Morocco is not a disguised independence but a profound decentralization. It would continue the 2011 Constitution's recognition of the Hassani component as an integral part of national identity and establish advanced regionalization as a pillar of local democracy. Thus, the plan would represent the logical culmination of an internal evolution within the Moroccan model, not an institutional break.
Under Moroccan sovereignty, an autonomous Southern Region could have an elected local parliament, a responsible executive, and real decision-making power in daily management: economic development, education, health, environment, culture, and heritage. The central state would retain its sovereign competencies — defense, security, supreme justice, foreign policy, and currency — but would delegate significant action and responsibility to regional institutions.
Thus, this autonomy would serve as an instrument of efficiency and proximity, rather than fragmentation.
The plan could rely on a clear institutional framework: an elected regional council representing local populations; a consultative chamber bringing together notables, tribes, civil society, and economic actors; a regional executive leader with electoral legitimacy; and a permanent coordination mechanism with Rabat to ensure national coherence.
The King, as the guarantor of unity and balance between powers, would act as the ultimate arbiter, as is typical in any modern decentralized state.
One of the major challenges would also be economic governance. For a decade, the Southern provinces have undergone a spectacular transformation: modern infrastructure, free trade zones, green energy, fisheries, logistics, sustainable tourism. A successful autonomy plan should consolidate these achievements while ensuring equitable wealth distribution.
This necessitates a transparent sharing of natural resources, shared regional taxation, and the creation of a sustainable development fund allowing Southern residents to directly benefit from revenues derived from their local resources.
But autonomy is not limited to the economy. It also requires a social contract based on justice, citizen participation, and cultural recognition.
Local law could be harmonized with national legislation while integrating certain customs and social practices specific to Hassani culture, respecting constitutional principles. Regional courts, branches of the National Human Rights Council, and an independent mediator would ensure transparency and the protection of public freedoms.
Finally, a modern autonomy plan should rest on transparency and accountability: open regional budgets, public audits, citizen digital platforms, and measurable performance indicators (employment, education, environment, health).
This would represent an advanced form of territorial governance, capable of embodying a new generation of state: decentralized yet unified, sovereign yet participatory.
By projecting this model, Morocco would offer more than a territorial solution: an African model of democratic autonomy reconciling identity diversity and national cohesion.
Such an approach could inspire other countries facing decentralization or management of regional pluralities, demonstrating that successful autonomy is not a retreat from unity but a more nuanced and modern expression of sovereignty.
Ultimately, the Moroccan autonomy plan would not only be a political response to the Sahara conflict but also one of the most ambitious aspects of the national modernization project for the state.
An architecture where every citizen, from north to south, participates in building a balanced Morocco, strengthened by its differences, united by its destiny, and faithful to its sovereignty.
