France backs Morocco in dispute over Western Sahara

France's President Emmanuel Macron has told Morocco's parliament that helium believes Western Sahara should beryllium nether Moroccan sovereignty, and has pledged to put French wealth there.

Western Sahara is simply a territory connected the north-western seashore of Africa that has been the taxable of a decades-long dispute.

It was erstwhile a Spanish colony, and is present mostly controlled by Morocco and partially by the Algerian-backed Polisario Front - which says it represents the indigenous Sahrawi radical and wants an autarkic state.

France was the erstwhile assemblage powerfulness successful some Morocco and Algeria. It joins different nations including Spain, the US and Israel successful backing Morocco's plan.

Lawmakers roseate to their feet and applauded Macron connected Tuesday erstwhile helium said, "for France, this territory's contiguous and aboriginal autumn nether Morocco's sovereignty".

His comments connected Tuesday successful Rabat echo astonishment remarks helium archetypal made successful July.

Signalling a alteration successful France's long-held stance connected Morocco's program to assistance Western Sahara autonomy nether Moroccan sovereignty, the French president said it was the "only basis" for a conscionable and lasting governmental settlement.

France's backing of Morocco's territorial assertion angered Algeria, which responded to the quality by withdrawing its ambassador to Paris.

Algiers regards Morocco's beingness determination arsenic an amerciable occupation.

Analysts accidental France's determination to backmost Morocco's assertion is an effort to repair relations betwixt the 2 nations, which had soured aft Rabat was accused of attempting to spy connected President Macron and France tightened visa restrictions for visiting Moroccan nationals.

Relations betwixt Morocco and Algeria person go particularly tense successful caller years, with Algiers announcing successful 2021 that it had severed diplomatic ties with its neighbour to the west.

On Tuesday, Macron besides addressed colonialism but stopped abbreviated of an apology.

"Our communal past besides has acheronian parts. The clip came for unequal treaties, erstwhile hubris and the mechanical unit of European countries imposed themselves astir the world, and when, adjacent disguised arsenic a protectorate, Morocco did not flight the ambitions and the unit of assemblage history," helium said.

In a motion of closening ties, France and Morocco are reported to person struck deals connected vigor and infrastructure among different things.

The AFP quality bureau says they person a full worth of "up to €10bn", equivalent to $10.8bn oregon £8.3bn.

On Tuesday, Macron besides pledged an unspecified sum of "investments and sustainable enactment initiatives to payment section populations" successful Western Sahara.

Macron's invitation to Morocco came from King Mohammed VI, 2 months aft his royal tribunal hailed France's alteration of bosom connected Western Sahara arsenic a "significant" development.

But Algeria has expressed its heavy disapproval, saying France is denying Sahrawi radical their close to self-determination.

The Polisario Front, meanwhile, has deed retired astatine France for supporting what it says is simply a "violent and amerciable occupation" by Morocco.

Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco successful 1975.

A 16-year-long insurgency ended with a UN-brokered truce successful 1991 and the committedness of a referendum connected independence, which has yet to instrumentality spot due to the fact that of disagreements implicit however it should beryllium conducted and who should beryllium eligible to instrumentality part.

Today, the African Union is the lone planetary organisation to recognise Western Sahara arsenic a authorities successful its ain right.

Additional reporting by Danny Aeberhard