Western Sahara: France reaffirms support for Moroccan control

France have reaffirmed their support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, sending the Speaker of the French Senate to Laayoune, the largest city in the contested region.

According to Middle East Monitor, Senate Speaker Gerard Larcher said during his visit on 25 February: ““The present and future of the [Western] Sahara can only be envisaged within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.”

Algeria, who supports the bid for independence by the indigenous Sahrawi people, condemned the visit as a “diplomatic escalation”.

Middle East Monitor