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In a letter to King Mohammed VI, France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the plan that Morocco proposed in 2007 to offer the region limited autonomy under its sovereignty as the “only basis” to solve the conflict
France has backed Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed Western Sahara. This is a significant shift from a decades-old position held by France. A growing list of countries has aligned with Morocco as a United Nations-mediated peace process remains stalled.
In a letter to King Mohammed VI, France’s President Emmanuel Macron called Morocco’s plan in 2007 to offer the region limited autonomy under its sovereignty as the “only basis” to solve the conflict. The shift deals a blow to the pro-independence Polisario Front, which has for decades claimed to be the legitimate representative of the indigenous Saharawi people.
On the other hand, France’s departure from its historic position is a major victory for Morocco. This was preceded by similar stands taken by the United States, Israel, and Spain. Also, a growing list of African nations are changing their earlier stand to align with Morocco.
Morocco’s regional foe Algeria and the Polisario Front in anticipation of the developments from the French side had rebuked the changed stand. The Polisario’s Mohamed Sidati accused France of acting at odds with international law and backing Moroccan expansionism as its influence wanes throughout Africa, while Morocco considers this as a game changer.
Algeria said that the French decision is the result of a dubious political calculation, a morally questionable judgment, and legal interpretations that are neither supported nor justified.
For the uninitiated, Morocco annexed the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975, sparking a conflict with the pro-independence Polisario Front, which the United Nations has long recognized as the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people. The U.N. brokered a 1991 cease-fire and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territory’s future. Disagreements over who is eligible to vote prevented the referendum from taking place.
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Morocco has long sought recognition of its claim from its other nations, while the Polisario has prioritized fighting legal battles to assert its right to represent the people and territory. Sporadic violence has ensued since the Polisario renewed armed conflict in 2020, ending a 29-year truce.
