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Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron could delay his visit to Morocco until late April, according to French outlet Le Monde.
The visit, which was announced a long time ago, seems to be in limbo again, the publication said, citing Morocco’s reluctance to host the French head of state.
The visit will not take place before the end of the Ramadan month, Le Monde informed.
Macron’s visit to Morocco had been in the works for some time, since the French president visited neighboring Algeria in August 2022.
Africa Intelligence reported in November 2022 that Macron had a phone call with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, during which there were attempts to smooth the strained relations as well as a “willingness” from Macron to visit the country.
The outlet also reported towards the end of November that Macron would travel to Rabat in January 2023, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna who visited the capital in December.
While Colonna’s visit did come to fruition, and included discussions about the president’s upcoming visit, there has not been an official update on Macron’s trip yet.
However, reports from Africa Intelligence persisted, with the outlet expecting the President to proceed with his visit in January.
The news of Macron’s supposed visit comes amid the context of ongoing tensions between the two countries, despite Colonna’s latest trip in December.
The visa crisis, which saw France cut the number of visas allowed to Moroccans by half, continues to loom over Rabat-Paris relations.
While the two countries announced the end of the crisis in December, reports of continuing unjustified rejections of Moroccan citizens have cast a shadow of doubt over the announcement’s claims.
At the same time, France’s ambiguous stance on the Western Sahara issue seems to be fueling the situation, as Morocco has expressed several times that it expects its partners to take a clear stance on the issue.
Tensions have recently been exacerbated further, as the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Morocco for allegedly “intimidating” and “harassing” journalists.
Many observers felt that the resolution was pushed by French politicians in frustration with the North African country’s diplomatic progress and its alignment with new international partners.
Read also: New EU Resolution Against Morocco: France’s Frustration and Machinations
The same day that the European Parliament’s resolution was adopted on January 19, King Mohammed VI terminated Mohamed Benchaaboun’s duties as ambassador to France.
