For the entire population and the city's elected officials this is a "wise" and "logical" decision which makes it possible to secure free commercial and civil movement in this area linking Morocco to Mauritania, underlined Ould Errachid in a statement to MAP.

"We, elected officials and inhabitants of Laâyoune, welcome any initiative taken by our country, under the insightful leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, in order to ensure free commercial and civil movement in this area," he insisted.

Faced with the documented acts of provocation by the separatists for several weeks, the Kingdom had no choice but to shoulder its responsibilities in order to secure the flow of goods and people through the buffer zone of Guergarate, noted Ould Errachid, who is also a parliamentarian.

He added that the inhabitants of the southern provinces, in general, and of Laâyoune, in particular, highly welcome this decision which is in full compliance with international legality, recalling that the "polisario" has remained deaf to calls from Minurso and the Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as several countries, in order to put an end to their actions in Guergarate.

Ould Errachid also described the allegations conveyed by the separatists on this subject as a "disinformation campaign", reiterating the unconditional support of the inhabitants of the southern provinces for the autonomy proposal presented by Morocco.