France Backs Morocco’s Stance on Western Sahara, Calls for Ceasefire

These remarks by Christian Cambon, which unambiguously display France’s position on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, come after his meeting with the Moroccan ambassador to France, Chakib Benmoussa, notes La Map.

"France stands by Morocco to demand the free movement of traffic in El Guerguerat (Mauritanian border) and maintain the ceasefire with the polisario. Morocco, France’s best ally in Africa," Mr. Cambon wrote in a Tweet, also demanding the free movement of traffic in El Guerguerat.

Mr. Cambon, who is also president of the France-Morocco inter-parliamentary friendship group in the Senate, had reiterated, on behalf of the group, his call for "a peaceful and negotiated solution (to the Sahara issue) under the aegis of the United Nations Security Council, drawing inspiration from the broad autonomy proposal advocated by the Kingdom of Morocco".

The President of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee of the French Senate had in particular recalled that "For 45 years, the Kingdom of Morocco has made gigantic efforts by investing in housing, health, education, economic activities and public facilities, as the France-Morocco friendship group of the Senate has observed during its visit there [...] the civilian populations of this region need economic and social development to live in peace in this part of the world".