HM the King visits late King Mohammed V mausoleum

HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, accompanied by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and HH Prince Moulay Ismail, visited, on Thursday evening, Mohammed V mausoleum, on the occasion of the 10th day of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month of Ramadan, which coincides with the anniversary of the passing of the Father of the Nation, late King Mohammed V. in commemorating the passing of the King Mohammed V, the leader of Moroccan nationalism, who passed away on Ramadan 10, 1380 Hegira (February 26, 1961), Moroccans show dedication to the memory of the late sovereign. The late sovereign, may he rest in peace, devoted his life to the liberation of Morocco and categorically refused any compromise with the protectorate authorities, which sent him into exile along with the Royal Family. His passing, after he managed to defend the Kingdom’s sovereignty and lead it with resolve and farsightedness to independence, was a loss for Morocco and for all resistance and liberation movements which consider the Late King a symbol of the struggle to achieve independence, dignity and progress. The late Sovereign was not only the pioneer of the Moroccan nationalism, but an African leader who inspired the continent’s peoples in their struggle against colonialism and racism for unity, independence and world peace. Throughout his struggle against colonialism, the late King Mohammed V had taken his action in permanent consultation with Morocco’s national movement, showing a constant concern to strengthen the ranks of all the components of the resistance. His heroic positions for freedom and independence resulted in his exile, in August 1953, to Corsica and then to Antsirabe in Madagascar, in addition to the hostility of the colonial circles. The late King Mohammed V had preferred the sacrifice and pain of the exile to surrender, flatly opposing to yield national sovereignty or bargaining with the Protectorate authorities. In response to this, the Moroccan people fighted for the return of their legitimate King from exile, as a symbol of the national sovereignty. Faced with the growing armed resistance, the colonial authorities had no option but to accept dialogue with the nationalists, which had resulted in the victory of the Moroccan cause with the return of the late King Mohammed V from exile ( November 16, 1955) and the proclamation of the independence of Morocco. Late King Hassan II, the companion of the Father of the Nation in the struggle for independence, had continued the task of consolidating the gains, after the death of King Mohammed V, by engaging in a major programme for the country’s economic and social development. Today, HM King Mohammed VI leads Morocco to a new era by laying the foundations for a modern and competitive economy and initiating a series of reforms to modernize the kingdom and promote the values of democracy and citizenship.