French Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné stated in an interview with RFI and France 24 on Monday that France acknowledges that “Morocco has developed the Sahara economically,” and noted that the “diplomatic issue will be resolved between the two Heads of State.”
In an answer to journalist Marie Normand’s question concerning the possibility of Morocco becoming an intermediary between France and the Sahel countries, Séjourné said that Morocco has become a regional power and a regional power should contribute to regional organization and stability, adding that “all Moroccan initiatives in the region are welcomed.”
“It is up to Moroccans to decide on their agreements, but I believe they have the will on their side to forge ties with neighboring countries,” the French official said.
In his recent first visit to Morocco since his appointment in January 2024, Séjourné reaffirmed Paris’s “clear and constant” support for Morocco’s autonomy plan to resolve the Sahara dispute.
During the French official’s meeting with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, he highlighted the Kingdom’s economic and social development efforts in the Sahara region and the fact that Morocco has “long invested in the Sahara” for the benefit of local populations.
“The Sahara is an existential issue for Morocco. We know that . . . . It is now time to move forward. I will see to it personally,” Séjourné said.
The French official said that France wants a fair and “mutually acceptable political solution to resolve the conflict,” pointing out that France was the first to support the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007.