I fully appreciate the clear support that your country gives to Morocco’s sovereignty over this part of its territory, and the firm support of France for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as a way out of this regional dispute, there by endorsing the plan proposed by Morocco, back in 2007, as the only basis for achieving this goal”. HM the King wrote in His letter to the French President. According to the Sovereign, “by recognizing Morocco’s legal titles and time-old rights, France is helping to strengthen the international momentum already gained by a great many countries, and thus to put an end to a conflict inherited from another era”. “The Moroccan people and their driving forces fully appreciate the importance of this decision which comes from a permanent member of the Security Council, an intimate connoisseur of the past and present of North Africa, and a privileged witness to the evolution of this regional dispute”, said HM the King.
This event should speed up preparations for a state visit to Morocco by the French President. In the meanwhile, another drama is being played out in our neighbor to the east. No sooner had the news of France’s change of stance on the Moroccan Sahara been made public than Algiers activated a classic procedure: the recall of its ambassador in Paris, effective immediately. The chargé d’affaires will therefore take over responsibility for Algeria’s representation in France. Paris has taken note of this decision, without commenting on it, but confirming its determination to deepen bilateral relations in the interests of the French and Algerian peoples. In any case, this is not the first time that Algiers has recalled its ambassador from Paris. It has done so three times in the last three years.
However, since last week, when informed of the evolution of the French position on the autonomy of the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, Algeria has visibly lost its cool. Since then, that country’s Foreign Ministry has continued to hurl insults at France, which enjoys sovereignty in its decision-making on this or any other issue. In any case, such undiplomatic behavior came as no surprise to anyone who follows closely Algerian affairs. The same score was played with Spain when it decided to recognize the autonomy of the southern provinces under Moroccan sovereignty. The Algerian ambassador in Spain was recalled, and retaliatory measures were taken against Spanish products, companies, and natural gas. Nothing less than that, but after some time, Algeria pretended to look the other way.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry press release states that this decision follows France’s recognition of the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara. For Emmanuel Macron, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved. From now on, this plan is the only basis for achieving a just, lasting, and negotiated political solution, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. The present and future of the Sahara therefore lie within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized this point on the sidelines of the Throne Day festivities at the Moroccan Embassy in Paris. Stéphane Séjourné is in favor of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.
Mohamed CHAOUI
