Western Sahara: French PM reaffirms support for Moroccan plan
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, alongside French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu upon his arrival at Rabat airport, July 15, 2026.
Ties between France and Morocco look set to deepen as France reaffirms support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, according to the pro-Moroccan North Africa Post and agencies on July 16th.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reaffirmed his country’s “unwavering” support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan following the 15th Franco-Moroccan High-Level Meeting in Rabat on July 16th.
“We know the crucial importance that the question of the Sahara holds for your country, and you know the clarity of our position,” Lecorno said.
He added, “I reaffirm here that this position is unwavering. It will not change and, as you know, we are acting accordingly.”
Under the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, or Resolution 2797, the Western Sahara would be granted limited self-governance under Moroccan rule.
France is among 130 nations to support the plan, which is widely perceived as a realistic solution to a territorial dispute that has persisted since Spanish colonial rule ended in 1975.
French support for Moroccan sovereignty was first expressed in 2024; President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for French investment in the disputed territory in October 2024.
On July 2nd, it was reported that France’s new Moroccan Ambassador, Philippe Lalliot, had started his diplomatic mission in Laâyoune, the Western Sahara’s capital, which has been under de facto Moroccan occupation since 1975.
Despite widespread support for Moroccan sovereignty, Algeria has rejected Resolution 2797 and supports the Polisario Front.
The Polisario Front claims to fight for self-determination for the Sahrawi people, who are indigenous to the Western Sahara but have been displaced by decades of conflict.
Polisario militants have called for an independence referendum to resolve the territorial dispute; these calls have been repeatedly rejected.
Sahrawi refugees reside in camps, including the Tindouf camps in southern Algeria, where concerns have been raised about growing extremism.
Located near the Mauritanian border, the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps have allegedly hosted Hezbollah militants, Tuareg and Kurdish separatists.
Support for Moroccan sovereignty is not limited to Europe, as Morocco has gathered support from several African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Under Morocco’s Atlantic Initiative, landlocked African nations would gain access to the Atlantic Ocean via Morocco.
African support for Morocco comes despite historical ties between Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger due to their shared history as former French colonies.
North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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