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|Bahija Simou at the MAP Forum: Royal Archives Attest to the Moroccanity of Sahara

Several royal archives attest, with incontrovertible evidence to support, that the history of Morocco has its roots in the depths of its southern provinces, said Tuesday in Rabat, the Director of the Royal Archives, Bahija Simou.

These archives also attest to the specificity of the Moroccan governance system, based on the "Beïâ" and testify to the Moroccanity of the Sahara, thanks to all the texts of the "Beïâ" of the Sahrawi tribes to the sultans and Alaouite monarchs, stressed Ms. Simou, who was the guest of the MAP Forum, held under the theme "The Royal Archives, an institution at the service of the history of Morocco.


She said that the Directorate of Royal Archives has published several books in this direction, citing as an example the book "The Beïâ, a permanent pact between the King and the people" published in 2011 and which traces the history of the "Beïâ" as one of the legal pillars of the Kingdom and a basis for the enthronement of Sultans and Kings of Morocco over the ages.


This work provides the researcher in political science and history a solid scientific material, added Ms. Simou, welcoming the great interest that this book has attracted among academics and during the many conferences it has been the subject in several universities in the Kingdom.


Ms. Simou also referred in this sense the book "The Moroccan Sahara through the Royal Archives", published in three parts in 2012, which offers a comprehensive and global view of the history of the Moroccan Sahara, stressing that the geographical and institutional extension of Morocco goes hand in hand with its cultural, intellectual and religious extension, all within the framework of its unalterable integrity.


The book highlights the sovereignty of Morocco over the southern provinces over the ages, including through the continuity of "Beïâ" Sahrawi tribes to sultans and kings Alawite, as well as the appointment, under dahir charif, caïds and magistrates in the various southern provinces, added the official.


It also highlights, she said, the integration of Sahrawis in the army of the sultans and their participation in the organization of missions and trade in the southern provinces, under dahirs charifs, as well as the intervention of sultans and kings in the resolution of conflicts and disputes between tribes, in addition to the intellectual, cultural and spiritual interaction between the different regions of the Kingdom and the Moroccan Sahara.


This book also deals with the position of the Moroccan Sahara in the workings of European colonial policy and dwells on the colossal efforts made by the Sultans and Kings of the Alawite dynasty to defend the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, said Ms. Simou.


The Directorate of Royal Archives strives to shed light on a number of political, economic, social, cultural and diplomatic issues in order to confront prejudices and develop valid provisions based on complementary and coherent archives, she concluded.


Director of the Royal Archives since 2008, Bahija Simou is a member of several commissions and foundations, such as the Scientific Committee of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Zones, the Moroccan Commission for Military History and the Moroccan Association for Historical Research.


A university professor of modern history, Ms. Simou is the author of several publications in Arabic and French, and counts to her credit a series of scientific activities as well as contributions to international symposia.


The MAP Forum has become a space for debate on current political, economic, cultural and social issues, and brings together representatives of public authorities and personalities from various backgrounds, as well as media representatives.


-News on Western Sahara/Corcas-


   
2/24/2023   Back Print
 

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