Algeria Condemns French Minister’s Visit to Western Sahara: A Challenge to International Legitimacy
Algeria Accuses France of Disrespecting International Law Amid Tensions Over Western Sahara Dispute
Watan-The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit by a French government member to Western Sahara, referring to Culture Minister Rachida Dati (of Moroccan origin), considering it an affront to international legitimacy.
An official statement from the Algerian Foreign Ministry said: “The visit by a member of the French government to Western Sahara is extremely dangerous. It warrants condemnation on multiple levels, as it demonstrates blatant disregard for international legitimacy by a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.”
The statement continued: “This visit also contributes to entrenching Morocco’s fait accompli in Western Sahara, a land where decolonization has not been completed, and where its people have yet to exercise their inalienable and irrevocable right to self-determination.”
Algeria Slams French Visit to Western Sahara, Accusing France of Colonial Solidarity
The Algerian Foreign Ministry concluded by saying: “This provocative visit reflects a distasteful image of solidarity and collaboration between old and new colonial powers.” By doing so, the French government, the statement added, “explicitly and blatantly distances itself from the efforts of the United Nations to expedite a resolution to the Western Sahara conflict, based on strict and genuine respect for international legitimacy.”
France’s recognition of Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole basis for a solution in Western Sahara has been a major source of diplomatic tension between Algeria and Paris. Algeria, in its approach to the solution, defends the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, as expressed by the Algerian president in a speech to the Algerian parliament at the end of last year.
He stated that “Algeria’s stance on the Western Sahara issue will not change today or in the future until the Sahrawi people can determine their own fate,” describing this position as one that respects international legitimacy and is not directed against any party.
The Algerian president mentioned that the issue of Western Sahara is listed by the United Nations as a decolonization issue and is before the UN’s Decolonization Committee. He also added that the idea of “autonomy” is primarily a French concept, not a Moroccan one, “it did not originate in Rabat or Marrakech,” as he said.
