Paris, October 25, 2024 – The International Academic Observatory for Western Sahara has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to reconsider his stance on the Western Sahara conflict, emphasizing the need for France to bring its position in line with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings, which reaffirm the “separate and distinct” status of the region.
In a letter addressed to President Macron, the observatory stressed that France, as a nation committed to human rights and international law, must align its position on Western Sahara with the decisions of the ECJ and relevant UN resolutions.
The observatory recalled that on October 4, 2024, the ECJ issued a significant ruling that annulled trade agreements between the European Union and Morocco, citing that these agreements were made without considering the rights of the Sahrawi people or their right to self-determination.
The observatory further explained that the court ruled that the obligations undertaken by the EU and Morocco in their treaties do not apply to Western Sahara, reinforcing the region’s “separate and distinct” status from Morocco. The ECJ has repeatedly reaffirmed this principle in December 2016, February 2018, and September 2021, decisions that France is bound to respect as a member of the European Union.
According to the observatory, this legal victory bolsters the legitimacy of the Polisario Front, which is recognized as the sole representative of the Sahrawi people. The rulings also grant the Polisario Front the legal right to challenge agreements that affect the territory, as confirmed by the European judiciary.
The observatory urged Macron to revisit his position and support an inclusive dialogue that respects the rights of the Sahrawi people, as a step toward finding a just and lasting solution to the decolonization conflict in Western Sahara.
However, the observatory criticized Macron’s July 2024 letter to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, in which the French president asserted that the present and future of Western Sahara fall under Morocco’s sovereignty.
The observatory described this position as being in direct conflict with international and European law, urging Macron to reassess his stance in light of recent legal developments.
The organization also cautioned Macron that his endorsement of Morocco’s alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara, justified as a means to ensure regional stability and prosperity, contradicts judicial rulings and risks exacerbating tensions in the region.
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Author: nor-eleslam
Keyphrase: France Western Sahara European Court ruling
