French Politicians Urge EU to Recognize Morocco’s Sahara Claim, Following US Lead

"It is time for the European Union to take the measure of the diplomatic upheavals that have taken place in the Middle East and their regional consequences. Whether it is the Palestinian question or the Western Sahara, the positions of the European Union must evolve to seize the opportunities offered by these changes and facilitate the resolution of entrenched conflicts," former French minister Jean-Marie Le Guen said in a public statement. According to him, these conflicts have for too long prevented the development of the populations concerned and fractured international and regional relations.

In a statement to the press, Jean-Marie Bockel, former French minister and former French senator, indicated that the recognition by the European Union (EU) of the Moroccanness of the Sahara will be based on "developments and opportunities to move the lines frozen for a long time and get out of a situation of frozen conflict to go again in a march of peace and development". He called on the EU to "overcome a certain number of hesitations" because "today, the conditions are met and the international position, with regard to international law, is solid" to go in this direction. "The contribution to peace in the region and to development remains always to be strengthened and further improved," he stressed.

In the eyes of the former French official, the development carried out in the Moroccan Sahara in recent years is "quite remarkable". "I know the Moroccan Sahara and I have been able to see how in recent years development efforts but also dialogue have taken place there. I think that when we see the situation in which this region was a few decades ago, it is quite remarkable," he said. For Mr. Bockel, the American decision is "important" and marks a "turning point" on the path to a definitive solution to this dispute.