France to invest €150 million in Western Sahara
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France is backing Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara with a €150 million investment, straining ties with Algeria.
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Demonstrators wave Moroccan flags during a protest in Paris on March 20, 2016, when the United States declared its support for the UN peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. (AP/Christophe Ena)
The French Development Agency (AFD) announced on Monday that it will invest €150 million ($167 million) in Morocco-ruled Western Sahara between 2025 and 2026, marking a significant reinforcement of Paris's support for Rabat’s claim over the disputed territory.
Western Sahara is primarily controlled by Morocco, but the Polisario Front has been advocating for the territory's independence since before Spain, its colonial ruler, withdrew in 1975. The United Nations classifies it as a "non-autonomous territory."
The decision follows France’s formal recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a move that deepened a decades-old regional dispute and fueled tensions with neighboring Algeria.
According to a statement from the AFD, the funding will target water access, environmental protection, and broader economic and social development programs. The announcement came during AFD Director Remy Rioux’s visit to Rabat and the territory, where he held meetings with Moroccan cabinet ministers and local officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Morocco last October, has described Rabat’s autonomy plan as the only viable resolution to the conflict. During that visit, the two countries signed agreements worth over $10 billion, further solidifying their strategic alignment.
France also announced plans to open a cultural center and provide consular services to process visa applications directly from Western Sahara, extending its administrative and diplomatic presence in the area.
Conflict and realignment
The Algeria-backed Polisario Front demands full independence of the Western Sahara and the establishment of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
The conflict has seen renewed international reshuffling since 2020. Morocco has received explicit support from the United States, “Israel”, Spain (the former colonial power), and more than two dozen Arab and African nations for its autonomy initiative.
The UN continues to call for a “political, realistic, practical and mutually acceptable solution” to the status of Western Sahara. While the Polisario has pulled out of the UN-brokered ceasefire, the conflict remains largely low-intensity.
France’s backing of Morocco’s position has significantly strained relations with Algeria, a longtime supporter of the Sahrawi cause.
