[ad_1]
France on Tuesday recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in an apparent departure from its historic position, dealing a blow to the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which claims to be an independent state.
release:
1 minute
France Already recognized MoroccoControversial Western Sahara DesertMorocco has reversed a decades-old stance and joined a growing chorus of countries supporting it as a UN-brokered peace process stalled.
In a letter King Mohammed VIFrench President Emmanuel Macron Calls Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan the “only basis” for resolving the conflict, dealing a blow to the pro-independence camp Polisario FrontThe party has claimed to be the legitimate representative of the indigenous Sahrawi people since the end of Spanish colonial rule.
“The present and future of Western Sahara falls within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. France intends to uphold this position at the national and international levels,” Macron wrote in a letter made public on Tuesday.
France’s abandonment of its historical position is a major victory for Morocco and follows a similar shift by the United States. Israel, Spain Morocco hopes to deepen trade ties with a growing number of African countries.
A senior Moroccan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the move a “game changer” amid an international shift toward Morocco’s position. They noted that France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and oversees the peacekeeping mission that has for decades mediated between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
(Associated Press)
[ad_2]
Source link
