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Join on Telegram Rabat — Former French Spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux, called for France and the EU to join the “dynamic” opened by the United States in affirming Morocco’s position in the Western Sahara. Griveaux served as the French government’s spokesperson from 2017 to 2019 under Prime Minister Édouard Philippe,
“The United States recently recognized, and the new Biden administration has confirmed, the Maroccanness of the Sahara,” Griveaux wrote in a statement released Thursday. He called for “ opening the path to a lasting and just resolution to a regional conflict that has persisted for far too long.”
He encouraged France to follow the US’ lead, insisting that this progress “must be part of a resolutely multilateral approach in which France, but also the European Union, play their full part.”
Prior to serving as government spokesperson, Griveaux was briefly elected to the National Assembly in 2017, representing Paris’ 3rd and 10th arrondissements. He was one of the earliest members of the La République en Marche! (LREM) party and is often described as one of Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s closest political allies.
Since the United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara in December, France seems to be warming to the idea. Bruno Fuchs, another LREM member and French parliamentarian, stated in January that Morocco could “count on France” in regards to the Western Sahara issue.
Fuchs stated that “the conflict in the Sahara has lasted long enough and it must be brought to an end” and affirmed that “France has a very similar position” to the US regarding sovereignty over the region.
Griveaux and Fuchs both assert the importance of the role Morocco plays in the Western Sahara in combating security concerns and bolstering regional economic development.
Griveaux maintains that finding a resolution to the Western Sahara issue is “essential for regional stability and the security of the entire Sahel-Saharan region, to which Morocco has greatly contributed.”
Likewise, he affirms that “recognizing the Moroccanness of the Sahara is also an opportunity for local populations and provinces in Southern Morocco in terms of economic development.”
