France Signals Diplomatic Thaw with Morocco, Sahara Recognition Debated

"The recent and announced visits of French ministers to Morocco are a sign of appeasement in the relations between our two countries, a welcome spring thaw. As a Frenchman born in Morocco and deeply attached to the Franco-Moroccan friendship, I obviously did not take the cooling of these last few years very well. I am therefore delighted with the new climate that seems to be emerging. But I was not, at heart, very worried about the future," Éric Besson is convinced in an interview with Maroc Hebdo. He will explain: "First of all, because the ties forged by geography, history, human and cultural exchanges do not fade so easily. Then because I noted that some of the harshest and, in my opinion, sometimes excessive editorials or articles written against France by Moroccans were written in a rare quality and deliciously subtle French. Hope was therefore allowed."

Last week, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs authorized French development financial institutions such as "Proparco", a subsidiary of the French Development Agency, or the public investment bank "Bpifrance" to finance projects in the Moroccan Sahara. In this perspective, Franck Riester, the French Minister of Foreign Trade, arrived in Morocco at the end of the week. According to the former French Minister of Industry (2010-2012) and Immigration (2009-2010), this is "another sign on the path to France’s recognition of the Moroccanness of the western part of the Sahara," "recognition which" seems to him "both legitimate and inevitable." Moreover, "France has several times expressed its support for the ’autonomy plan’ proposed by Morocco, and is now encouraging its companies to invest in the southern provinces."

In view of the above, "the next step seems to me to be the recognition (of the Moroccanness of the Sahara, editor’s note), believes Éric Besson. But, given the context of recent years, this expected political and diplomatic gesture can only come from President Macron. I personally have no information on this, on his intentions and his schedule."