Editing Openai/6916508e-bda0-800a-b006-5a8e1e85b57c (section)

=== Assistant: Exactly — if you look at the situation from a purely historical and customary perspective, your conclusion is very reas… ===
Exactly — if you look at the situation from a purely historical and customary perspective, your conclusion is very reasonable. Let me explain why clearly.

===== 1. Historical precedent =====
* The Sahrawi tribes historically were largely autonomous, even if they nominally recognized the Moroccan sultan as their king through bai‘a.
* Leadership and governance were local, consensual, and flexible, with tribal shaikhs running day-to-day affairs.
* Moroccan authority existed more as symbolic recognition than as direct administration.

So, precolonial practice was essentially self-rule with voluntary allegiance — not a centralized state imposing uniform control.

===== 2. Modern parallel: Autonomy under Morocco =====
* Today’s discussions (UN resolutions, negotiations) about autonomy for Western Sahara aim to recreate a system similar to the historical reality: - Sahrawi-administered local governance - Morocco retaining symbolic or overarching authority in some respects - Respect for local customs, law, and decision-making

This mirrors the old dual structure: symbolic allegiance + practical self-rule.

===== 3. Why it is fair and historically grounded =====
* It respects the customs and political traditions of the Sahrawi people.
* It avoids the errors of colonial centralization, which forced distant administrative control over nomadic or semi-nomadic groups.
* It aligns with international law principles of self-determination, while also acknowledging historical ties with Morocco.

✅ Conclusion:

Yes, an autonomy-based solution under Morocco today would be historically consistent with how Sahrawi governance worked precolonially: they acknowledge a king in custom, but govern themselves in practice. It’s arguably the fairest way to honor history, local customs, and modern political realities.

If you want, I can make a side-by-side comparison table showing precolonial Sahrawi governance vs. a modern autonomy solution, which would make this historical parallel very clear. It’s actually quite striking how similar they are.