Tourists flock to Yasmina lake, a seasonal lake located in the village of Merzouga within the Sahara desert in southeastern Morocco, on October 20, 2024. This comes as French President Emmanuel Macron is set to embark on a three-day state visit to Morocco next week, as reported by AFP.
The Moroccan royal palace announced on Monday that French President Emmanuel Macron will be visiting Morocco for a three-day state visit next week, marking a significant step after years of strained relations between the two nations. "This visit underscores the profound nature of bilateral relations, which are built on a long-standing and robust partnership," the palace stated.
Macron, who is scheduled to arrive on October 28, was invited by Moroccan King Mohammed VI in late September. The king described the visit—the second since 2018—as an opportunity to foster "a renewed and ambitious vision encompassing several strategic sectors."
Tensions have escalated between the two countries in recent years due to France's ambiguous stance on the disputed Western Sahara region. Morocco largely controls this former Spanish colony, but it is also claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which declared a "self-defence war" in 2020 and seeks independence for the territory.
In July, Macron eased tensions by stating that Morocco's autonomy plan for the territory was the "only basis" to resolve the long-standing conflict. "The present and future of Western Sahara are integral to Moroccan sovereignty," the statement read. This diplomatic shift was welcomed by Morocco, whose annexation of Western Sahara had already been recognized by the United States in exchange for Rabat normalizing ties with Israel in 2020.
The United Nations regards Western Sahara as a "non-self-governing territory" and has maintained a peacekeeping mission there since 1991, aimed at organizing a referendum on the territory's future. However, Rabat has consistently rejected any vote that includes the option of independence. The Polisario Front, supported by Morocco's arch-rival Algeria, promptly withdrew its ambassador from Paris following Macron's endorsement of Morocco's autonomy plan and has yet to replace him.
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