On the sidelines of Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco, discussions are taking place between Morocco and France. Rabat would like Paris to position itself in its favor on the Western Sahara issue.
Will Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco really take place in January, as announced, even if nothing has been formalized? Originally announced at the end of last October, the presidential visit ultimately had to be discussed by Emmanuel Macron and by Mohammed VI. The two leaders had a half-hour telephone conversation, early November, which resulted in a promise to see each other in Rabat next month. However, it would seem that the preparations are taking a little longer than expected.
Already at the beginning of December, the very informed newspaper Hespress indeed ensured that there was no indication that this visit would take place at the announced time. This may be the reason why Morocco has not officially announced the arrival of Emmanuel Macron in Rabat. Catherine Colonna, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, went well, for her part, to Morocco to prepare the political framework for the trip. She announced the restoration of the initial number of visas granted to Moroccans.
The thorny Sahrawi dossier
But if it was simply a question of discussing this file, a trip by Emmanuel Macron would not be of much use. The crisis between Paris and Rabat is latent. But above all, it can only be settled if France comes out in favor of the Moroccan peace plan in the Western Sahara file. However, until today, Emmanuel Macron has managed to avoid having to position himself in favor of Rabat. Except that King Mohammed VI is asking for a clearer position. In a recent speech, he urged the international community to stand behind him.
Still, Paris has some room for negotiation: the case of the use by Morocco of the Israeli software Pegasus, which would have made it possible to listen to French personalities, including the President of the Republic, left a bitter taste for Emmanuel Macron. Although no concrete evidence has been found.
In the end, therefore, the discussions will revolve around Western Sahara. According to Africa Intelligence, this question “complicates the implementation of Emmanuel Macron's long-awaited stay in Rabat. Initially scheduled for January, it should finally take place in February. On the sidelines of the meeting between the king and the French president, Rabat will try to secure a declaration from Macron in favor of his peace plan. Should we expect, however, a spectacular announcement? Nothing is less sure. In full reconciliation with Algiers, Paris will not want to spoil everything by positioning itself in favor of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.