France Signals Shift in Western Sahara Policy, Aligning with US Stance

When asked by Zakaria Garti during a Links Foundation event about a possible willingness of France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and supporter of Morocco’s territorial integrity (along with the United States), to redefine MINURSO or even end it, the French ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, responds candidly: "on this issue, MINURSO will be a result of a broader movement that will lead to questioning what will become of this mission." He explains that, in the choices made and in French President Emmanuel Macron’s expression, there was first a desire to address questions of trust.

He adds: "That’s why he himself (President Macron, Ed.) described the Sahara issue as existential for Morocco. Secondly, there was recognition of the strategic importance of what Morocco is doing. Thirdly, [...] there is the observation of an international dynamic favorable to Morocco, which King Mohammed VI mentioned in his response, that France is working to maintain in order to rally even more - which is happening - either within the European Union or within the United Nations."

The French diplomat also reaffirmed his country’s willingness to mobilize all its means and diplomacy to stand alongside Morocco and other partners to ensure that, "in 2025, in 2026, in any case, in the months and years to come, we can move strongly towards a definitive solution, which would obviously meet the French assertion that the present and future of these territories" be decided within the framework of the kingdom’s sovereignty. And to conclude: "This is a French position, a French vision, a French assertion. We obviously wish that it be shared as much as possible by the international community and relevant bodies."