Algeria has recalled its ambassador from France in response to Paris’ endorsement of a contentious Moroccan proposal to grant limited autonomy to Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty.
In a letter dated Tuesday, July 31, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, stating that he views this proposal as the only viable solution to the protracted dispute over the former Spanish colony. Macron affirmed, “Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and constant,” in his correspondence to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
Morocco has asserted control over Western Sahara since 1975 and administers the majority of the territory. In contrast, Algeria supports the Polisario Front, an organization that claims to represent the Saharawi people and advocates for the independence of Western Sahara.
France’s shift in position marks a significant endorsement of Morocco’s stance on Western Sahara and aligns Paris with a growing coalition of supporters, including Spain, the United States, and several African countries. This development represents a major diplomatic victory for Morocco but has been met with criticism from the Polisario Front, which denounces France’s stance as an attempt to bolster its diminishing influence in Africa.
Algeria has accused the French government of “denying the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.”
