France Declares Support for Moroccan Sovereignty in Western Sahara Dispute

French President Emmanuel Macron has communicated to Morocco’s parliament his conviction that Western Sahara should fall under Moroccan sovereignty, simultaneously pledging French financial investment in the region. Western Sahara is a territory located on Africa’s north-western coast, which has been the subject of a dispute lasting several decades. Once a Spanish colony, it is now predominantly controlled by Morocco, with a portion administered by the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. The Polisario Front claims to represent the indigenous Sahrawi people and advocates for an independent state. France, the former colonial power in both Morocco and Algeria, now aligns with other nations, including Spain, the US, and Israel, in endorsing Morocco’s plan. Lawmakers rose and applauded Macron on Tuesday when he stated, “for France, this territory’s present and future fall under Morocco’s sovereignty”. His remarks on Tuesday in Rabat echoed surprising comments he had initially made in July. Signalling a shift in France’s long-held position regarding Morocco’s proposal to grant Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, the French president asserted it was the “only basis” for a just and lasting political settlement. France’s endorsement of Morocco’s territorial claim provoked anger in Algeria, which responded to the news by recalling its ambassador to Paris. Algiers views Morocco’s presence there as an illegal occupation. Analysts suggest that France’s decision to support Morocco’s claim is an attempt to mend relations between the two nations. These relations had deteriorated after Rabat was accused of attempting to spy on President Macron, and France subsequently tightened visa restrictions for Moroccan nationals visiting the country. Relations between Morocco and Algeria have become particularly strained in recent years, with Algiers announcing in 2021 that it had severed diplomatic ties with its western neighbor. On Tuesday, Macron also addressed the topic of colonialism but refrained from offering an apology. He stated, “Our common history also has dark parts. The time came for unequal treaties, when hubris and the mechanical force of European countries imposed themselves around the world, and when, even disguised as a protectorate, Morocco did not escape the ambitions and the violence of colonial history.” As a sign of strengthening ties, France and Morocco are reported to have concluded agreements on energy and infrastructure, among other areas. The AFP news agency indicates these agreements have a total value of “up to €10bn,” equivalent to $10.8bn or £8.3bn. On Tuesday, Macron also committed an unspecified sum for “investments and sustainable support initiatives to benefit local populations” in Western Sahara. King Mohammed VI extended the invitation for Macron to visit Morocco, two months after his royal court lauded France’s change of heart on Western Sahara as a “significant” development. However, Algeria has expressed its profound disapproval, asserting that France is denying the Sahrawi people their right to self-determination. Meanwhile, the Polisario Front has criticized France for backing what it terms a “violent and illegal occupation” by Morocco. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1975. A 16-year insurgency concluded with a UN-brokered truce in 1991, which included a promise of a referendum on independence. This referendum has yet to take place due to disagreements over its conduct and participant eligibility. Currently, the African Union is the sole international organization that recognizes Western Sahara as an independent state.