Moroccan king Mohammed VI arrived on Monday afternoon in the southern city of Laayoune. According to MAP, the sovereign was welcomed upon arrival by a number of high-ranking civilian and military officials, including Interior Minister, Chakib Benmoussa, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia-Al Hamra Wali (governor), Charki Drais, and Commander of the military ground drill division.
This five-day visit to Western Sahara comes a few weeks before the Kingdom presents a proposal on Western Sahara's status at the United Nations.
Three years ago, Morocco rejected the last UN proposal for a five-year period of autonomy followed by a self-determination referendum in area. This plan was called "Baker Plan" named after US former secretary of state James Baker.
During his last visit to the area in 2002, the Moroccan monarch said that his country would "not give up one inch of its Saharan territory, which is inalienable and indivisible".
