Macron visits Morocco amid a “new honeymoon” across the Western Sahara

Emmanuel Macron arrives in Morocco on Monday for a long-awaited visit to discuss diplomatic and business relations between the two countries.

During the three-day visit of the French president to the North African kingdom, the French president is scheduled to meet with King Mohammed VI and Prime Minister Aziz Ahannoush, and will also address the country’s parliament.

It is Macron’s first visit to Morocco since he reversed his stance on Western Sahara in July, backing the Moroccan government over a nationalist Sahrawi rebel group, the Polisario Front, which has been fighting Morocco in the disputed region, which the UN defines as “independent”. -self-governing territory”.

After years of diplomatic wrangling over Morocco’s claims to the region, which the UN defines as “non-self-governing territory”, Macron backed Rabat’s position, insisting on semi-autonomy for the former Spanish colony “within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty”.

The move adds France to a growing list of countries siding with Moroccan authorities on the issue. In 2020, the US announced that it would recognize Morocco’s claims to disputed territory after Rabat normalized diplomatic relations with Israel within the framework of the Abrahamic agreements.

A year later, Morocco and France quarreled reports there was information that the authorities were using Israeli spy software to monitor French politicians, including Macron. Rabat categorically denies the allegations.

Macron’s comments in July sparked diplomatic outrage from Algeria, the Polisario Front’s biggest international backer. The political headquarters of the group is located in Algeria.

Algeria later recalled its ambassador from France and called Macron’s comments “unequivocal support for the colonial rule imposed on Western Sahara.” Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, while Algeria was a colony from 1830 to 1848 and then part of France until 1962.

“Warm meeting” of strategic allies

The Moroccan press, on the other hand, hailed a “warm meeting” and a “new honeymoon” between the two nations. In a statement released by the royal cabinet before Macron’s arrival, authorities in Rabat praised “the depth of bilateral relations based on a deep-rooted and strong partnership with a common desire to strengthen the ties that unite the two countries.”

Morocco remains one of France’s closest allies in North Africa, maintaining close ties in business, climate and the fight against terrorism. France is Morocco’s main trading partner, and Morocco is a major destination for French investment in Africa.

While Morocco imports French cereals, renewable energy infrastructure and weapons, Morocco exports goods to France including tomatoes, cars and aircraft parts. Over the past decade, trade between the two countries has doubled and will reach a record 14 billion euros in 2023.

During Macron’s last visit to the country in 2018, he and King Mohammed VI inaugurated Africa’s first high-speed railway, a joint operation between France’s SNCF and Morocco’s ONCF. The trains were built in France by Alstrom.

Immigration remains a pressing issue

Moroccans are the second largest foreign community in France, with more than 836,000 people. Immigrants from North Africa have recently become increasingly at the center of controversial debates about the role of Islam and immigration in French society.

Following French parliamentary elections earlier this year in which the far-right made significant gains, authorities in Paris have pushed for the country to take a tougher approach to immigration.

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Lawmakers in France have again pushed for tighter controls after a Moroccan migrant was detained on suspicion of murdering a 19-year-old French student last month. The suspect was due to be deported because of a rape conviction, but that was delayed due to bureaucratic issues.

In 2021, relations between the two countries deteriorated after France temporarily but sharply reduced the number of visas granted to nationals of several countries, including Morocco. In response, Rabat suspended diplomatic relations.