France formally backs Moroccan claim over Western Sahara, which SA backs for independence

A Western Sahara flag seen during a protest against Moroccan human rights abuses in Madrid in September 2005 (PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP)

• France has moved away from a tightrope position and told Morocco it backs its claim over Western Sahara.
• South Africa recognises the Sahrawi republic as independent, and considers Morocco’s occupation illegal.
• France’s Emmanuel Macron told Morocco’s king that his country’s claim on the territory is “the only basis for achieving a just, lasting and negotiated political solution”.
• Algeria immediately withdrew its ambassador from France.

France recognises a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty as the only way of resolving a long-running dispute over the territory, President Emmanuel Macron said in a letter on Tuesday.

The dispute, dating back to 1975, pits Morocco, which considers Western Sahara its own territory, against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state there.

France, as the former colonial power in the region, has walked a diplomatic tightrope between Rabat and Algiers on the issue. Most of France’s Western allies already back Morocco’s plan.

South Africa is a long-standing opponent to the Moroccan claim, and has campaigned for independence for Western Sahara.

The French decision angered Algeria, which decided to withdraw its ambassador to France, with the charge d’affaires assuming responsibility for the Algerian diplomatic representation, according an Algerian foreign ministry statement.

“For France, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved,” according to the letter sent by Macron to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

“Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and constant. For France, it now constitutes the only basis for achieving a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in line with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”

Macron said Paris views Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s present and future sovereignty, adding that France would act according to this position domestically and internationally.

The Moroccan Royal Palace in a statement welcomed the announcement as a “significant development in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.”

The Algerian foreign ministry said: “The French government is denying the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination…”

A French diplomatic source said Algeria’s decision to recall its envoy was sovereign, but that Paris remained determined to deepen its bilateral ties with Algiers.

“We are looking to the future with a strong ambition to benefit both our peoples,” the source said.

Algeria has recognised the Polisario’s self-proclaimed Sahrawi republic and backed a 1991 United Nations plan for a referendum with independence as an option.

That referendum never took place due to disagreements over who should vote and how it should be conducted and recent U.N. Security Council resolutions have not mentioned the option, urging the parties to work together for a realistic solution based on compromise.

Spain, the former colonial power in Western Sahara, said in 2022 it backs Morocco’s autonomy plan.

The US, Israel and Arab monarchies also back Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory, where 28 mostly African and Arab countries have opened consulates in what Rabat sees as tangible support.

South Africa is one of the countries that recognises the Sahrawi republic, and considers it illegally occupied by Morocco. 

International relations minister Ronald Lamola met a Sahrawi government envoy in Pretoria earlier this month, signalling the new administration’s commitment to long-standing foreign policy.

“Until the people of Western Sahara are able to exercise their right to self-determination, the decolonisation of Africa will be incomplete,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa in a 2022 statement.

– Additional reporting by News24