Following France's expression of support for Morocco's autonomy plan for the Western Sahara, Algeria has withdrawn its ambassador from France in protest, condemning the decision..Deterioration of Relations.In place of the ambassador, Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Algeria's Charge d'Affaires has assumed the role of their diplomatic representation in France..The recall of Algeria's ambassador, as mentioned, was taken due to France's expression of support for the Moroccan 'autonomy plan' for the Western Sahara..The Western Sahara is a disputed territory in western Morocco that has claimed independence, however Morocco asserts it is its territory. Over the course of the conflict Morocco has managed to establish control over the majority of what is claimed by the Western Sahara as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with the SADR presently only controlling a portion of the south of the nation..In 2007, Morocco put forward its 'sovereignty plan', meant to solve the conflict by giving the SADR a level of autonomy, but within Moroccan borders and sovereignty..France had neglected to offer its support to the plan, but now French President Emmanuel Macron, in a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, stated that the autonomy plan was the "sole basis" for which the Western Sahara conflict could be solved, offering France's official support for the plan..Algeria, who has become the primary supporter of the SADR, issued a sharp condemnation and expressed their "deep disapproval" of the move by France, adding that it was "unexpected, inopportune and counterproductive."."The Algerian Government has taken note with great regret and deep disapproval of the unexpected, inopportune and counterproductive decision of the French government providing unequivocal and unqualified support for the autonomy plan for Western Sahara within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty." -An excerpt of the statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Algeria continued by making reference to France's colonial history, and implying that Morocco's claim to the Western Sahara was colonial, stating that "the colonial powers, old and new, know how to recognize each other, understand each other and provide each other with helping hands.".Negotiations on the matter, sponsored by the UN, had largely halted in recent years, with little ground being made on the issue. Algeria claimed that the new French position reinforces the impasse that had been reached, serving only to harm negotiations.."This French decision does not help to bring about the conditions for a peaceful settlement of the question of Western Sahara; it reinforces an impasse, the one created precisely by the so-called Moroccan autonomy plan and which has lasted for more than seventeen years. Even more so, and even though the international community has long been convinced that the question of Western Sahara undoubtedly falls within the scope of a decolonization process to be completed, this same French decision perverts and distorts the data by giving support to a colonial fact and by providing unjustifiable support to a contested and questionable sovereignty of Morocco over the territory of Western Sahara." -An excerpt of the statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Further, the Ministry claimed that France's status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the UN's role in negotiations and de-escalation efforts regarding the conflict were contradictory, stating that France is "supposed to act in accordance with the decisions of this body in a particular manner and with international legality in a general manner."."Finally, and while the current situation is witnessing a mobilization of goodwill within the United Nations with the aim of giving new impetus to the search for a settlement to the conflict in Western Sahara, the same French decision runs counter to these efforts, the deployment of which it thwarts and hinders in the higher interest of peace, stability and security in the region." -An excerpt of the statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.As the conflict has gone on and Morocco's influence in the region has increased, several nations have offered their support for Morocco in its sovereignty plan, asserting Moroccan jurisdiction over the area..In 2020, the US recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the area in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. Israel itself recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the area in 2023..Following the French announcement, King Mohammed VI has invited President Macron for a state visit to Morocco.
Following France's expression of support for Morocco's autonomy plan for the Western Sahara, Algeria has withdrawn its ambassador from France in protest, condemning the decision..Deterioration of Relations.In place of the ambassador, Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Algeria's Charge d'Affaires has assumed the role of their diplomatic representation in France..The recall of Algeria's ambassador, as mentioned, was taken due to France's expression of support for the Moroccan 'autonomy plan' for the Western Sahara..The Western Sahara is a disputed territory in western Morocco that has claimed independence, however Morocco asserts it is its territory. Over the course of the conflict Morocco has managed to establish control over the majority of what is claimed by the Western Sahara as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with the SADR presently only controlling a portion of the south of the nation..In 2007, Morocco put forward its 'sovereignty plan', meant to solve the conflict by giving the SADR a level of autonomy, but within Moroccan borders and sovereignty..France had neglected to offer its support to the plan, but now French President Emmanuel Macron, in a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, stated that the autonomy plan was the "sole basis" for which the Western Sahara conflict could be solved, offering France's official support for the plan..Algeria, who has become the primary supporter of the SADR, issued a sharp condemnation and expressed their "deep disapproval" of the move by France, adding that it was "unexpected, inopportune and counterproductive."."The Algerian Government has taken note with great regret and deep disapproval of the unexpected, inopportune and counterproductive decision of the French government providing unequivocal and unqualified support for the autonomy plan for Western Sahara within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty." -An excerpt of the statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Algeria continued by making reference to France's colonial history, and implying that Morocco's claim to the Western Sahara was colonial, stating that "the colonial powers, old and new, know how to recognize each other, understand each other and provide each other with helping hands.".Negotiations on the matter, sponsored by the UN, had largely halted in recent years, with little ground being made on the issue. Algeria claimed that the new French position reinforces the impasse that had been reached, serving only to harm negotiations.."This French decision does not help to bring about the conditions for a peaceful settlement of the question of Western Sahara; it reinforces an impasse, the one created precisely by the so-called Moroccan autonomy plan and which has lasted for more than seventeen years. Even more so, and even though the international community has long been convinced that the question of Western Sahara undoubtedly falls within the scope of a decolonization process to be completed, this same French decision perverts and distorts the data by giving support to a colonial fact and by providing unjustifiable support to a contested and questionable sovereignty of Morocco over the territory of Western Sahara." -An excerpt of the statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Further, the Ministry claimed that France's status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the UN's role in negotiations and de-escalation efforts regarding the conflict were contradictory, stating that France is "supposed to act in accordance with the decisions of this body in a particular manner and with international legality in a general manner."."Finally, and while the current situation is witnessing a mobilization of goodwill within the United Nations with the aim of giving new impetus to the search for a settlement to the conflict in Western Sahara, the same French decision runs counter to these efforts, the deployment of which it thwarts and hinders in the higher interest of peace, stability and security in the region." -An excerpt of the statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.As the conflict has gone on and Morocco's influence in the region has increased, several nations have offered their support for Morocco in its sovereignty plan, asserting Moroccan jurisdiction over the area..In 2020, the US recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the area in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. Israel itself recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the area in 2023..Following the French announcement, King Mohammed VI has invited President Macron for a state visit to Morocco.