France’s Culture Minister Visits Western Sahara: Morocco Plays Up Visit

(3 Minutes Read)

Moroccan observers have trumpeted the visit as a victory further cementing their presence in the disputed territory. Though international courts have reaffirmed residents’ right to self-determination, western nations have gradually backed Morocco. France’s decision to do so last year vaulted Franco-Moroccan relations to an all-time high.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati visited the disputed Western Sahara on Monday during a trip to Morocco to strengthen cultural ties with the North African nation.Dati and a delegation of representatives of French cultural institutions made visits to the Moroccan-controlled cities of Laayoune and Dakhla in Western Sahara.

The trip also included a stopover in Tarfaya in southern Morocco, where Dati visited a nineteenth-century fortress and a museum. In Laayoune, Dati chaired an official ceremony to inaugurate a French Alliance that will benefit local pupils, students, schools, and teaching institutions. The ceremony was attended by her Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and local officials.

Moroccan observers have trumpeted the visit as a victory further cementing their presence in the disputed territory. Though international courts have reaffirmed residents’ right to self-determination, western nations have gradually backed Morocco.  The French decision to do so last year vaulted Franco-Moroccan relations to an all-time high.

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Rachida Dati also met several members of the Moroccan government and visited the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat.