France reiterates support for Morocco-proposed autonomy plan, welcomes achievements in Sahara- Ambassador
French Ambassador to Rabat Christophe Le Courtier said his country has long backed Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara but now it was “high time we made progress.”
Speaking to 2M state media, le Courtier said France adheres to “Morocco’s momentum” on the Sahara issue, and that his country “is aware of what Morocco has achieved in this region.”
He said the autonomy plan needs to be shared globally and that France “backs Morocco’s efforts.”
This marks the first interview by the French diplomat with a state Moroccan media since ties cooled about three years ago.
Last month, despite the frost in Rabat-Paris relations, France has leant towards Morocco’s stance at the UN urging all parties, including Algeria, to resume the round tables process with a view to finding a political solution to the Sahara conflict, while stressing the pre-eminence of the autonomy plan.
“I reaffirm the historic and straightforward and steady support of France to Morocco’s autonomy plan,” said France’s permanent representative to the UN Nicolas de Rivière following the adoption by the Security Council of a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Sahara, MINURSO, for another year.
The autonomy plan “has been on the table since 2007. It is now time to make progress,” he said.
The call for the resumption of round tables between all parties would unsettle Algeria which has backtracked from the political process and vowed not to take part again.
Morocco insists on the participation of Algiers in the UN political process in view of its key role in perpetuating the conflict through its Polisario proxies.
Morocco welcomed the UN Security Council resolution which reiterated the serious and credible character of the autonomy plan.
The resolution urged all parties to work together based on a spirit of compromise towards the achievement of “a realistic, practicable, enduring and mutually acceptable political solution.”
