July 30, 2024 will stand as a landmark date in the institutional history of France. Through a message addressed by President Emmanuel Macron to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, France marked a decisive turn in its foreign policy by supporting the Moroccan Sahara and endorsing autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the only framework for resolving the issue.
This announcement by the highest authority of the French Republic, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is an important and significant step in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the southern provinces.
It falls in line with the momentum imparted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and supported by several countries worldwide, in favor of the Kingdom’s territorial integrity and the Moroccan autonomy plan as the exclusive framework for resolving this regional dispute.
France’s position, bolstered by an unprecedented outpouring of international support in a context marked by significant diplomatic, economic and institutional progress on the Moroccan Sahara issue, was reiterated during President Macron’s State visit to the Kingdom in October 2024.
Addressing the Nation’s representatives at a session of both Houses of Parliament, the French head of State said: “I reaffirm here before you. For France, the present and future of this territory lie within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this question must be resolved”.
He added that “this position is to be implemented by France to accompany Morocco in international fora”.
Since then, the new chapter in the relationship wished by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron has begun to unfold with the mobilization of all players, driven by mutual trust and commitment, and a shared ambition for a future with grand purposes, as evidenced by French institutions’ adoption of the map of the Kingdom of Morocco incorporating its entire southern provinces.
Following these major political acts, territorial diplomacy then comes into play to concretize on the ground the reinforced exceptional partnership between the two countries, with exchanges of visits among local elected officials, the signing of agreements and decentralized cooperation projects focusing primarily on southern provinces.
These convictions, declarations and decisions have been reinforced by other concrete acts. During the French President’s state visit to Morocco, investment agreements of over €10 billion were sealed, with numerous projects targeting southern provinces.
French political and economic players have also shown strong commitment, increasingly integrating Moroccan Sahara into their visits, cooperation initiatives, and partnership agendas. They include French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, President of French Senate Gérard Larcher and Chief Executive Officer of the French Development Agency (AFD) Rémy Rioux, the latter announcing a €150 million investment plan in favor of southern provinces.
For expert in geopolitics Frédéric Encel, France’s support for the Kingdom’s full sovereignty over the Sahara is rooted in historical, legal and geographical truths.
Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, which today enjoys broad international support, particularly from major powers, is, according to Encel, concretely demonstrated through sustained development efforts, transforming the region into a hub of growth and stability.
In a statement to MAP-Paris, he stressed that Morocco “is in the process of becoming a significant economic and political power”, noting that it is both rightful and proper to support the Kingdom in its quest for peace and in relation to its territorial integrity.
Legal expert Hubert Seillan, author of the book “Le Sahara Marocain, l’espace et le temps” (Moroccan Sahara, Space and Time), concurs, pointing out that “the strong French position” regarding the national question “goes beyond the formal framework”.
In addition to this strong political commitment, he added, France’s colossal investments, a large proportion of which are earmarked for vital projects in the Moroccan Sahara, are proof of the unshakable stance of France on this major national security issue for the Kingdom.
To this expert in international law, the worldwide outpouring of support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara is in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, notably 2756 of October 31, 2024, which outline a realistic, lasting and pragmatic solution to this artificial conflict based on the Moroccan autonomy plan.
Many observers also see in this an opportunity for lasting peace, rooted in a close combination of law, historical and geographical truths, and socio-economic realities. They also underscore that there is only one viable route for exchanges between Europe and countries of the Southern Sahel: the Atlantic corridor, which, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, carries the hope and ambition of a shared area of prosperity destined for a great future.
Editorial team/le7tv