France has supported Morocco’s bid for autonomy over the disputed Western Sahara, reversing its long-standing stance and joining the growing list of nations supporting Morocco in the face of an impasse in a peace process sponsored by the UN.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron referred to the 2007 plan put up by Morocco to grant the region limited autonomy under its authority as the “only basis” for resolving the crisis in a letter to King Mohammed VI. The Polisario Front, which has been claiming for decades that it is the rightful representative of the indigenous Saharawi people, is dealt a setback by this change.
Macron stated in a letter made public on Tuesday that “the present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.” “France plans to behave in accordance with this position at both national and international level.”
In the days before the letter was published, Algeria, Morocco’s regional adversary, and the Polisario Front both criticized the decision in advance. Mohamed Sidati of the Polisario charged that France was supporting Moroccan expansionism as its power dwindled across Africa and acting contrary to international law.
A senior Moroccan official described it as “a game-changer” in the context of a global movement in support for Morocco’s stance. They cited France’s position as a permanent representative on the UN Security Council, which is in charge of the peacekeeping effort that has served as a middleman between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria, for many years.
The Western Sahara was a former Spanish territory that Morocco acquired in 1975. This led to fighting with the pro-independence Polisario Front, which has long been acknowledged by the UN as the rightful representative of the Saharawi people.
