The historic visit made by the late H.M. Mohammed V to Tangier on 9 April 1947 constitutes, in more ways than one, a major event in the history of Morocco, sounding the death knell for the protectorate and enshrining the integrity of the Kingdom's territory.

The "journey of unity" undertaken by the Father of the Nation to Tangier, a city under international administration at the time, came at the right moment to defy the colonial powers and solemnly proclaim the Kingdom's desire to regain its freedom and independence. Indeed, after the end of the Second World War, it was necessary to remind the whole world that Morocco is a sovereign and unified homeland, a reality that the French and Spanish protectorate and the special status of the city of the Strait could not change.

Even before it began, the royal visit caused panic in the ranks of the colonial authorities, who were aware that this event would mark a turning point in Morocco's fight to regain its independence. The protectorate authorities manifested their hostility once they became aware of the late Sovereign's decision, and tried in vain to hinder its realisation, but were met with the determination and bravery of the late H.M. Mohammed V. Two days before this visit, the occupier even committed a real massacre in Casablanca, killing and wounding hundreds of Moroccans, with the aim of extinguishing national fervour and preventing the Father of the Nation, leader of the National Movement, from travelling to Tangier. Much to the chagrin of the colonial authorities, these events only strengthened the Sovereign's determination to move forward and solemnly claim independence from Tangier, a symbolic city whose "international status" would guarantee global resonance for the memorable speech of 9 April.

In this speech, delivered before representatives of foreign powers, international administrative authorities of Tangier and numerous personalities, the late H.M. Mohammed V clearly and unambiguously expressed the will of the Moroccan people to regain their independence and take their destiny into their own hands across their entire territory. The question of territorial integrity was central to this speech. The late Sovereign thus stressed that the territorial dismemberment dictated by the occupation was only a parenthesis in the history of Morocco, and that the country had to regain its independence and its place among sovereign nations. The speech also reaffirmed, clearly and unequivocally, the identity of Morocco and its belonging to the Arab-Islamic space, highlighting the right of the Moroccan nation to independence and territorial integrity. During this visit of unity, the late H.M. Mohammed V delivered, on Friday 11 April at the Great Mosque of Tangier, the Friday sermon in which he called on the Nation to remain attached to the precepts of Islam, while reaffirming the Kingdom's anchoring in the Arab-Islamic world. For his part, the late H.M. Hassan II, then Crown Prince, spoke before a young audience at the Moulay El Mehdi Institute in Tangier, evoking the Kingdom's aspirations for a better future and his vision regarding the development of the country and the building of institutions. The warm welcome reserved by the inhabitants of Tangier for the late H.M. Mohammed V and the members of the Royal Family gave, moreover, proof of the attachment of the Moroccan people, from North to South, to the foundations of the Nation and their unanimity regarding the demand for the country's independence. The historic visit of the late H.M. Mohammed V to Tangier had the effect of breathing a strong dynamic into the National Movement demanding independence, at a time when the cause of the liberation of peoples was gaining ground with the international community. Morocco, through all its vital forces, would then work tirelessly to achieve this objective, under the enlightened leadership of the late Sovereign, despite the machinations of the occupying powers who eventually had to face the facts and recognise the country's independence, which opens a new page in the millennial history of the Kingdom.