Morocco Gains Edge in North Africa as Israel Recognizes Sahara Claim, Former French Ambassador Says

"There has been a turning point in this region with the signing of the Abraham Accords," said Xavier Driencourt, in an interview with the French magazine Causeur, estimating that Morocco "has taken a step ahead" of Algeria. Without failing to deduce the consequences. "With all the consequences that we see (and that Algiers also sees): the arrival of Israel in the region, an unthinkable fact a few years ago, a possible role played by the IDF, a gradual rise in power, political, military exchanges between the two capitals... In short, things can get out of hand and it is a radical change that carries risks," commented the French diplomat, noting that there is "on the one hand Rabat, Washington and Tel Aviv and on the other Algiers supported by Moscow".

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Discussing the relationship between his country and Algeria, Xavier Driencourt stressed that these relations are just as degraded as those between Morocco and France. "They do not proceed from the same physiognomy as the Franco-Algerian relations. What we observe is that Paris has practically bet everything on Algiers and finally, this Algerian bet that we have made by force makes us lose on both sides: no positive return on the Algerian side, a distant coldness on the Moroccan side who seeks to take the upper hand over Paris," he analyzed. The French diplomat will point out that the French are "alone and naked in this triangular game".

The former director general of the administration of the Quai d’Orsay notes moreover that France "constitutes a kind of wall" between Morocco and Algeria "who already got along badly". However, hope is not lost. According to him, France can still "take the upper hand". This "will certainly go through a change in our approach and our methods. Almost everything is to be rebuilt," said the French diplomat.