France shifts Western Sahara stance, seeking closer ties with Morocco

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — France has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, shifting a decades-old position and adding itself to a growing list of countries to back Morocco as a United Nations-mediated peace process remains stalled.

In a letter to King Mohammed VI, France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the autonomy plan that Morocco proposed in 2007 that “only basis” to solve the conflict, dealing a blow to the pro-independence Polisario Front, which has claimed to be the legitimate representive of the indigenous Saharawi people since the end of Spanish colonization.

“The present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty,” Macron wrote in a letter made public on Tuesday. “France intends to act consistently with this position at both national and international level.”

France’s departure from its historic position is a major victory for Morocco and follows similar shifts from the United States, Israel, Spain and a growing list of African nations which which Morocco aims to deepen trade ties.

A high-ranking Moroccan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity called it “a game-changer” amid changing international shifting toward Morocco’s position. They noted France’s role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, which oversees the peacekeeping mission that has for decades mediated between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

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