French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that France recognizes a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty as the only way to resolve the long-standing dispute over the territory. The conflict, which dates back to 1975, pits Morocco against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state in the region.
As the former colonial power in the area, France has balanced diplomatic relations between Rabat and Algiers. However, most of France’s Western allies already support Morocco’s plan. The decision has angered Algeria, prompting it to withdraw its ambassador to France and appoint a charge d’affaires to handle diplomatic matters, according to an Algerian foreign ministry statement.
“For France, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved,” Macron wrote in a letter to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. “Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and constant. For France, it now constitutes the only basis for achieving a just, lasting, and negotiated political solution in line with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”
Macron emphasized that France views Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s present and future sovereignty and that Paris would act according to this position both domestically and internationally. The Moroccan Royal Palace welcomed the announcement as a “significant development in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.”
In contrast, the Algerian foreign ministry criticized the French government’s stance, stating, “The French government is denying the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination…”
