France has officially recognized a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty as the only viable solution to the long-standing territorial dispute.
France President, Emmanuel Macron stated in a letter on Tuesday. The conflict, which dates back to 1975 involves Morocco claiming Western Sahara as its territory, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front advocates for its independence.
France, the former colonial power in the region, has carefully balanced its diplomatic relations between Rabat and Algiers regarding this issue. Notably, most of France’s Western allies already support Morocco’s plan.
“For France, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved,” Macron wrote in his 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 accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”
The Royal Palace in Morocco welcomed the announcement, describing it as a “significant development in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.”
Macron affirmed in the letter that he views the “present and future of Western Sahara within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty” and committed that France would act according to this position both domestically and internationally.
