France Foreign Policy and Diplomacy

Fear of war with Russia forced the West to disgrace Macron, by Dmitry Bavyrin for VZGLYAD. 02.28.2024.

When French President Emmanuel Macron said that Western troops could be sent to Ukraine, he disgraced the whole world. Now France is trying to understand how it happened that only its president is ready to send troops to war with a nuclear power, although he is a “military leader without an army.”

"I really don't understand why he said that." This phrase from sociologist Bruno Jeanbart from an interview with Politico is the most complacent and loyal comment to the French President that he can now count on. Emmanuel Macron made the biggest image blunder of his career while trying to make everyone love him. Everything except Russia, of course.

Now the whole world knows that, having convened a meeting of allies on the conflict in Ukraine, the French President allowed the direct participation of military personnel from EU and NATO countries in it . He spoke rather vaguely, but in a way that sounded menacing: there was no consensus, but nothing could be ruled out, because “Russia cannot be allowed to win,” because “the fate of Europe is at stake.”

It seemed to follow from this that some EU and NATO countries wanted to take direct part in a war with a nuclear power, while others did not want to. Naturally, journalists were interested in the full list of suicides, but it quickly became clear that only Macron was on it. Not as the bravest, but as the stupidest.

The first to surrender the French ally were representatives of those governments that were easiest to suspect of wanting to fight with Russia - Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden. The question remains: even if they don’t even think about sending troops into Ukraine, then who does?

The Germans clarified the issue. Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke out immediately for himself and for all of NATO - no one is considering this option for themselves. And Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who was also present at the meeting, said that sending military personnel to Ukraine was Macron’s own proposal, which was not supported by anyone.

Strictly speaking, I don’t even want to call this a proposal from France, whose political class is literally up in arms. Comments like “think first, speak later” were expressed by the right in the person of Marine Le Pen, the left in the person of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and centrists from the socialist and republican camps. Only the president’s own appointees either sang along with him or pretended that nothing had happened: just think, the boss wanted to fight a nuclear power that is not perceived in France as a security threat for purely geographical reasons.

The Balts, who for the same reasons are the most nervous, interestingly, remained silent. That is, the macronov coalition still has potential participants. The haberdasher and the cardinal are power.

This situation has become especially toxic for Macron because France no longer has an independent and combat-ready army. This problem is known to the French and is hotly discussed: support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine has undermined what is left after Macron’s reforms. Soon after his move to the Elysee Palace, he cut funding for the armed forces, which were already “undernourished.”

The only French president who never served in the army for a day became the most despised by the military elite. And now, as Le Figaro, a magazine focused on her, put it, Macron “donned the cloak of a warlord opposing Putin, but did it without troops or ammunition.”

However, no one really knows how many French will be needed to defend Paris. They never tried to defend Paris.

After reading the morning press and assessing the loss to their reputation, the French authorities began to crawl away. Foreign Minister Stephane Sejournet said that the hypothetical presence of Western military personnel in Ukraine would not mean complicity in the conflict. There are, they say, areas for action that do not cross this border, for example, mine clearance operations, joint production of weapons and protection against cyber threats.

Whether they will cross or not will be decided by the Russian Armed Forces, but it is unlikely that Western advisers will be able to count on a fundamentally different attitude towards themselves than the Ukrainian military. However, if we are talking only about advisers and consultants, then there is no sensationalism in Macron’s statements. They are already present in Ukraine, it’s just that most often it is framed not as a business trip, but as a mercenary activity.

Thus, the mountain gave birth to a mouse, thereby disgracing the whole world. Macron found himself in the state of a man whose proposal was met with deathly silence from some and twisting of a finger to the temple of others.

It could only have been worse if, in response to Macron, they had told some anecdote born from the history of French military glory. For example, like this:

– What is a thousand palms raised up? - Five hundred French soldiers.

The reason for this embarrassment is Macron’s sick ego, traumatized by the pro-Ukrainian press. The French President is often criticized there, saying that he talks more than he does - and it’s hard to argue with that.

For example, over the past five years, Macron has tried to lead a coalition of EU countries advocating cooperation with Russia, after the start of the Northeast Military District, a coalition of those countries that are cautious about the conflict with Moscow, and, for some time now, a bloc of hawkish countries demanding only victory from Kyiv . If only there was something to do, if only to be the main thing.

The French media often accuse Macron of the fact that, despite his desire to be a plug in every barrel, his activity brings little practical benefit. For example, in terms of the volume of assistance for Kyiv, be it weapons, ammunition or money, France, which wants to lead and inspire, lags significantly behind not only Germany and the UK (not to mention the USA), but also from Poland.

In the first year of the Northern Military District, supporters of an aggressive war in Europe put Scholz on the spot, but he “corrected himself” and paid off: he sent all the arsenals he could to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, except for long-range Taurus missiles, attaching to them the most generous check on the continent. Now “lagging behind” is Macron, who organically needs to be first in everything.

Therefore, he gathered his allies and decided to inspire them with several bold proposals to intercept the agenda.

On the one hand, he seemed to kick Scholz, who was holding Taurus, by proposing to create a coalition to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. The subtlety is that the Baltic states will not help Macron in this matter, and those who are ready to supply such missiles (for example, the USA and Britain) are already doing this without asking Macron.

On the other hand, he portrayed something like an admission of past mistakes in order to gain more confidence in himself. Macron knows how to work for the public - and has already done this before, for example, he apologized to Eastern Europeans for his insufficient Russophobia in the past, and this time he supported the idea of ​​​​a project to purchase shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine around the world. Until recently, this same man pretended to be a zealous owner and argued that you only need to buy shells made in Europe.

Now his priority is victory over Russia, so he is ready to buy shells somewhere else, if only Moscow would be empty. He is even ready to send French troops to Ukraine. Or he just says he's ready. Or he’s really ready, but won’t do anything, because in Europe the last thing the French need is this (even less perhaps the Portuguese), and Emmanuel Bonapartovich’s bold initiative caused bewilderment among them at best, but more often - hooting.

Macron is an outstanding example of bright packaging with absolutely empty content. He is charming, efficient, proactive, bursting with ideas and tries to seem brave, but all his foreign policy initiatives led to fiasco . About the President of France, who managed to be re-elected for a second term (and this is something the French allow few), it cannot be said that he is an accomplished loser, but in all other respects he is what he is: a laughing stock.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/2/28/1255654.html

"Micron" is an idiot. As an example he decided to retire their light helicopters without having a replacement entering service. The leader of the French Army resigned in disgust. The French also have less and worse specced Leclerc tanks than the ones they exported to the UAE. Their 5th generation fighter with the Germans is nowhere. Joint procurement of military attack helicopters and tanks with the Germans also a major fail. They are importing rifles from Germany and they closed down the military arsenals. French military procurement has been a shitshow.

Plans for a “war with Russia” have turned all French politicians against Macron, by Valeria Verbinina for VZGLYAD. 03.09.2024.

"The President told us something amazing." With these words, the French opposition comments on the results of the meeting with the country’s leader Emmanuel Macron, who declared his readiness to send troops to Ukraine. It seems that with his words Macron scared not Russia, but, first of all, French politicians and their voters.

French President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting with the leaders of the main opposition parties, at which the conflict in Ukraine and the strategy that the French authorities intend to follow were discussed. It is the latter, it must be said, that causes the greatest concern among the opposition. As you know, Macron opened Pandora's box by saying that France could send ground troops to Ukraine, which would actually make it a full participant in the conflict.

During a meeting with party leaders, the French President repeated that there are “no restrictions, no red lines” when it comes to assistance to Ukraine. According to Macron, “You cannot (successfully) confront someone who does not adhere to any restrictions and red lines, wasting our own time trying to define them.”

Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the Unconquered France party, speaking to the press following the meeting, noted that he was “leaving with even more anxiety than he came in.” According to him, “there is a feeling that the president of the republic is not aware of the risks that arise from the persistent desire to take the military route.”

The head of the Republican Party, Eric Ciotti, emphasizing that his party “supports Ukraine,” nevertheless actually repeated the words of his colleague, noting that “sending ground troops to Ukraine is irresponsible and dangerous.” However, he feels that with his statements, Macron, aggravating the Ukrainian issue, is trying to use it as a tool in the fight for seats in the European Parliament, since there are only three months left before the elections. Also, according to Ciotti, Macron’s statement “isolates France” on the international stage.

Nevertheless, the position of a defender of the interests of Ukraine allows Macron and his fellow party members to repeatedly attack their main opponents - Marine Le Pen's National Rally, which is traditionally considered a party that has a good attitude towards Russia. It got to the point that Prime Minister Attal compared the party of Marine Le Pen and its current leader, Jordan Bardella, with “Moscow’s troops” and a “foreign occupying army.”

Bardella himself strongly condemned Macron’s “belligerent position,” believing that France should support Ukraine, but “behave in such a way as not to end up as a belligerent party.” Socialist Olivier Faure put it quite ironically: “Unfortunately, our president is grimacing as always,” and, like Ciotti, suggested that Macron is using the conflict in Ukraine as a tool in the run-up to the European Parliament elections.

On the eve of the meeting with opposition leaders, on Wednesday evening Macron considered it necessary to hold a meeting with his predecessors, Presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. As a result of this meeting, Sarkozy refused to communicate with the press, and Hollande preferred to answer journalists’ questions very mysteriously: “In military affairs, I adhere to the rule - the less you say, the better you act. You don’t have to say what you are going to do, you have to do what was not said. This is what ensures the greatest efficiency.”

According to Hollande, “the only possible solution (to the conflict) is that we show that we support Ukraine and are in full solidarity with the Ukrainians, that we will provide them with any necessary support, without participating in any battles ourselves.”

Perhaps Macron is really, as Faure put it, “grimacing” and his main goal is to make an impression on the eve of important elections. However, many nevertheless take his words seriously and rightly point out the possible consequences.

“He is preparing minds for France to intervene in the conflict,” said the head of the French Communist Party, Fabien Roussel, in an interview with BFMtv. - At least that's how it seems to me. He told us: if the front moves towards Odessa or Kyiv, what will we do? We should not have any restrictions regarding our intervention. This is exactly how he presented the state of affairs.

But this is not the way to deal with the fears of the French. Yes, everything must be done so that Ukraine can defend itself and so that the front does not move, but everything must also be done so that France does not become a belligerent party and does not interfere in the conflict. He (Macron) is leading us towards a direct confrontation with Russia."

Developing the topic, Roussel added: “I asked him a direct question about the fact that at the beginning of the conflict he said that there were red lines that France was not going to cross. I asked him if they still exist. He replied that no, there should be no restrictions, since the nature of the conflict had changed. Thus, the French President is well aware that tomorrow France could go to war with Russia. And this is extremely alarming, this is a turning point...

Since these words are uttered by the president of the country, with his rhetoric he is participating in the escalation of the conflict. Each time we take another step towards making this conflict universal, and this is precisely what is dangerous.

Plus the President told us something amazing that I think everyone should know. He said Russia was asking for a ceasefire. And the president said that we should not satisfy Russia’s demands, because this means that positions will be fixed and this will allow Russia to rearm.

But listen, it is during a truce that we can begin discussions and negotiations. It would also give Ukraine and the EU time to produce weapons in case negotiations fail.”

No less interesting than the comments of politicians are the comments of ordinary Frenchmen. “There is no doubt that his strategy is intended to make his failures in all other areas forgotten. A good war will make the French forget everything, and besides, he will not lose the elections,” writes a user with the nickname Anti pasteque on the Figaro website.

"He pretends to be a frog that swells up to imitate a bull" - writes Le Cid 1er, revealing a good knowledge of La Fontaine's fables. “Let’s enlist all the illegal immigrants who were sentenced to deportation from France, and clandestine migrants, into the army, and send them to Ukraine,” suggests an anonymous commentator. “He should have done a better job of tackling the growing insecurity within the country and the increasing violence that is plaguing France... for example, in the beautiful city of Marseille, people have to survive amid the squabbles of warring drug traffickers,” notes one Raslacaisse.

But solving problems in Marseille appears to be much more difficult than threatening intervention. And, by the way, in Monsieur Lafontaine’s fable, everything ended very badly for the frog - it eventually burst from the strain. As the original text says, “the world is full of people who are no smarter than her.” Looking at Macron, it is clear that this is the case. Macron wanted to achieve the consolidation of French society and electoral advantages, but the reaction of both politicians and voters showed that he achieved exactly the opposite. Anti-Russian rhetoric - at least in such a radical form - turned the entire French society against him.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/3/9/1257205.html

Danger awaits a hawk who messes with a warrior heron, Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

French Troops in Ukraine May Be Play by Macron to Propel Himself to Status of 21st Century Sun King, by Ilya Tsukanov for Sputnikglobe. 03.20.2024.

Russian Foreign Intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin revealed Tuesday that Paris is planning to send thousands of troops to Ukraine. The new info comes just days after the French president doubled down on threats to put boots on Ukrainian soil “to counter Russia." Sputnik asked security analysts about the implications of these developments.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service’s bombshell revelation about French plans to deploy 2,000+ troops to Ukraine may signal a play by President Emmanuel Macron to raise his stature as a major European and even global leader, but would almost certainly wind up undermining the regional security order, Russian and European security and international affairs observers have told Sputnik.

“With these actions and statements, Macron is trying to play his own [independent] role in a new alignment of the European community,” says Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, a Russian security-affairs think tank.

“It must be understood here that Macron presently has the strongest cards” among any European leader, according to Mikhailov. “He feels the most confident in the post of leader of the ‘European locomotive’, and is set to rule over France until 2027. That is, he's not a lame duck, and unlike [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz and the leaders of EU-level institutions, is a politician ‘in full bloom’,” rather than someone planning to retire into political obscurity in the foreseeable future.

With France enjoying military capabilities that are unmatched by any of its neighbors, and possessing a powerful Foreign Legion (i.e., presto mercenaries in a pinch), Macron undoubtedly has access to both the personnel and the resources to send troops to Ukraine, the Russian observer believes.

“The question, rather, is in what legal status this could be formalized,” Mikhailov stressed, expressing “serious doubt” that Paris would rally the courage to send an official contingent of French troops to the east, given repeated warnings by Russian officials about the “extremely negative” consequences such a step might entail.

Naryshkin warned in his statement Tuesday that French forces in Ukraine would immediately become a priority target for the Russian military.

Alexandrov doesn’t believe Macron will commit to send a formal contingent of troops to Ukraine. “But France could of course theoretically create a base – a pool of personnel for the constant replenishment of mercenary units, and perhaps is already doing so,” the analyst said.

21st Century Sun King of France?

“Macron would be very happy to devise a situation in which he could propose some kind of a path for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and, as it were, to try to play a role of a ‘peacemaker’ who, just in time for the Paris Olympics, has successfully resolved a complex European conflict and elevated himself not just to the role of most important leader in Europe, but a world leader who fixed a complex conflict which even other key world players such as China and the United States could not cope with,” the observer said, delving into the possible reasons for the French president’s obsession with Ukraine.

Tiberio Graziani, chairman of Vision & Global Trends – a Rome-based think tank, agrees that Macron is trying to present himself as a great European leader, and can't rule the possibility of Paris sending troops eastward – even if it is without the approval or support of EU institutions and the United States.

“Furthermore,” Graziani told Sputnik, “the 2011 attack on Libya, perpetrated against the Italian-Libyan friendship agreements, made it clear that France, Britain and the USA do not always take into account the alliance relationships and spheres of influence of their allies. International law as we knew it during the so-called Cold War no longer exists. The first to destroy the principles that underlie international law (sovereignty of states, inviolability of borders) was the United States.”

Macron may be searching for a casus belli for intervention in Ukraine Graziani said, adding that France's colonial past has shown that Paris certainly has the capabilities and experience of using troops and mercenaries to attempt to impose its will on other countries, particularly in Africa.

“It is difficult to make a prediction and an evaluation,” according to the observer. “Certainly, a rash move like the one repeatedly stated by Macron would lead to the destruction of the European security system based on NATO. Most likely, Macron’s constant utterances about sending military fighters to Ukraine are linked to the fear of having Trump in the White House,” Graziani believes, pointing to the Republican nominee for president's repeated talk of ending the Ukrainian quagmire and trying to improve US ties with Russia.

France's Defence Ministry denies the presence of French soldiers in Ukraine, or plans to send forces to the conflict-torn Eastern European country.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240319/french-troops-in-ukraine-may-be-play-by-macron-to-propel-himself-to-status-of-21st-century-sun-king-1117433277.html

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Sewage Triathlon and Olympic Murder Threat, by Elena Karaeva for RiaNovosti. 07.14.2024.

The head of sports in the government, hanging by a thread, Amelie Oudea-Caster, dived into the Seine in a diving suit. The point of the event was to prove, first of all, to the IOC that the main waterway of the French capital has been "defecated" (in fact, it hasn't, because people swim in the rivers in bikinis and swimming trunks, not in waterproof suits). One and a half billion euros were allocated to clean the Seine. The Seine is in exactly the same condition as before the "cleaning began", and no one knows where the money went. Three weeks before the start of the competition, the Associated Press sarcastically noted that "as a last resort, the French are ready to replace the triathlon (swimming, cycling and running) with a duathlon (running, cycling and running again).

It's sarcastic because AP is an American media outlet, and it was from America that Macron personally, with his well-groomed hands, stole the right to host the 2024 Olympics, and also because, precisely in connection with the situation in Paris and France during the Games, the US diplomatic mission recommended that its citizens walk around Paris (and other big cities) not only alone, but only in groups of five people. The State Department also believes that "it is unsafe to carry large sums of cash, wear expensive watches and jewelry." And, if possible, speak quietly, without getting into arguments with the French. And have on hand the means of protection permitted in France - an F-16 with ammunition (joke).

This hoarse high A provides the general tone for the orchestra of the organizers of the Games, who failed to create "an unforgettable event that would glorify France for centuries." At least for us in Russia , who organized perhaps the best competitions in the modern history of sports, it is funny to watch.

The snap parliamentary elections stolen from the French themselves (the National Rally, which came in third in terms of the number of mandates, received the most votes, about 11 million, while the presidential cronies received significantly fewer), the paralysis of state power, the monstrous chaos in finances - and now today Macron will come out all in white to prove the values ​​of the republic and its motto, which have become - so they say in the Elysee Palace - deeds from words.

In the 235 years since the storming of the Bastille, France has known different times. Glorious times, inglorious times, times when honor was valued and times when it was trampled into the mud.

When France managed to defend its sovereignty, proving that it was a great power. Paris was the only one, by the way, that did not give in to the Americans' persuasion and did not go with them to Iraq . And to the newly converted members of both the North Atlantic Alliance and the EU , he sharply remarked: "You have missed an excellent opportunity to remain silent."

We, by the way, valued a partner in France – regardless of the party to which those who governed it belonged. They were French – with all the shortcomings and virtues that are characteristic of the rebellious (once) spirit of this people.

Today we are open, as Vladimir Putin has said (and repeatedly) , to discussing all crisis situations. Which, let us recall, are not only in Europe.

But there is one problem: even if at some point such a dialogue with Paris does begin, we will know that in reality, behind all the remarks and decisions of the French authorities, one way or another, in the country's foreign policy today, stands Washington . Isn't it easier in this situation to directly contact the house on Pennsylvania Avenue than the palace on the Parisian Faubourg Saint-Honoré?

French missiles are killing Russians today, French mercenaries are killing Russians today, French Mirages , which are assigned to Kiev , will also kill Russians.

Not because the French want us to die, by the way. It's just that the once independent country, which contributed greatly to the creation of the United States during the War of Independence from the British crown, itself did not notice how it became almost the main European vassal of the United States.

It was noticeable - bright and unambiguous, like Macron wriggling like an eel to please his boss Biden. Yes, the latter has dementia, yes, cognitive problems, and yes, difficulties with the perception of reality. But this is not a problem or an obstacle for today's Paris. There, dementia is not physiological, but political, so a common language was found very quickly.

Today's Bastille Day was the day when France was finally taken over by Washington. All that was left was to destroy it and write: "Croissants were eaten here."

And the minister's bathing in a diving suit to protect her skin from the decay of feces on the eve of the main national holiday unexpectedly became the most striking symbol of France's surrender to the United States, which still considers itself the world hegemon.

https://ria.ru/20240714/olimpiada-1959460796.html

'Liberation Front’ emerges across multiple French overseas territories, 07.19.2024.

Almost two dozen movements from the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and other regions have agreed to unite.

Parties and political movements seeking independence for French overseas territories have formed a united “International Front for Liberation of Last French Colonies” after a two-day meeting in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, in which they vowed to join forces in fighting 'French colonialism.'

The parties hail from a host of territories controlled by France, including the Mediterranean island of Corsica and islands in the Caribbean, Melanesia and Polynesia. The new front also involves a party from the Pacific territory of New Caledonia, where riots broke out in May over an election reform pushed by Paris.

The unrest prompted Paris to launch a “major operation” in the archipelago, located to the east of Australia, some 17,000 kilometers from France.

On Thursday, the movements signed a declaration on founding the liberation front and a website for the project launched on the same day.

During the meeting, the newly formed front members “condemned France’s policy of racism and repressions” against the indigenous peoples of its overseas territories and set a goal of “harnessing the colonies’ efforts in the process of decolonization.”

The front was designed to become a “central platform” in the fight against what its members call French colonialism, according to the Azerbaijani media that covered the meeting.

The meeting was supported by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) – an organization created last year with the stated goal of supporting “anti-colonialist movements” and backed by Azerbaijani authorities. Baku had already hosted the leaders of French Polynesia’s pro-independence party in May.

The two-day summit was promptly condemned by pro-Paris parties in New Caledonia, which accused the pro-independence figures from the territories of being “in league with a foreign power” and “undermining the fundamental interests of the French nation.”

Tensions between Paris and Baku have risen since Azerbaijan established full control over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian population of the area had long sought independence from Baku while enjoying support from neighboring Armenia. Since the 1990s, the territory had existed as a self-proclaimed Armenian-backed entity. Last September, Baku reasserted its sovereignty over the region through military action.

Since then Paris has developed closer ties with Armenia, prompting Baku to level accusations of bias against France.

https://www.rt.com/news/601288-french-overseas-territories-liberation-front/

Aliyev promised to help French [overseas] territories gain independence, 07.21.2024.

Azerbaijan will support peoples suffering from colonialism, as well as France's overseas territories "with all its might," Aliyev said. Baku and Paris accuse each other of supporting separatism.

Azerbaijan intends to support the overseas territories of France "with all its resources" in the fight for independence from Paris, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the Second Shusha Global Media Forum, which is taking place in the republic. His words are quoted by Azertag.

He noted that Azerbaijan is launching a program to support small island developing states.

"We will continue to support all peoples suffering from colonialism as much as we can. <...> We will support you with all our resources as much as we can until you are free. You and millions like you must live freely on your land, plan your future, and defend your heritage, dignity, and language, which they want to deprive you of. We will be on your side," Aliyev said.

https://www.rbc.ru/politics/21/07/2024/669cde6a9a794783f52d95b0

African state warns France over territorial dispute, 07.26.2024.

Algeria has claimed Paris’ decision to recognize an autonomy plan for Western Sahara “within Moroccan sovereignty” will worsen a decades-long conflict.

Algeria has condemned France for an alleged decision to explicitly endorse a contentious Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara, calling the “ill-timed” move a reprise of colonial rule in the disputed territory.

The North African nation’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that Paris had only recently informed the Algerian government about its stance in favor of Rabat.

Morocco annexed Western Sahara 50 years ago, a former Spanish colony with just over 550,000 people. Around 80% of the territory is under Moroccan administration, with the remainder controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which is recognized by 46 of 193 UN member states.

The annexation has been a source of regional tension and a decades-long conflict between Rabat and the Polisario Front, an Algerian-backed group seeking self-determination for the Sahrawi people. The Polisario Front fought a 15-year war for independence until a fragile UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991. The UN proposed a referendum to decide the region’s fate, but disagreements over who is eligible to vote have stalled the process, resulting in a return to hostilities since 2020.

Algeria regards Rabat’s presence in the sparsely populated region as an occupation, leading to strained relations between the two African states.

Morocco submitted its autonomy plan for Western Sahara to the UN Security Council in April 2007. According to the proposal, Rabat intends to delegate administrative, legislative, and judicial powers to local residents while keeping the Moroccan flag and currency. Morocco would also be responsible for the region’s foreign policy, security, and defense.

The Sahrawi nationalist movement rejected the plan. The US, along with its ally Israel, has officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and welcomed the framework as credible and realistic.

In May, a group of British lawmakers described Rabat’s proposal as a “pragmatic approach,” advising the UK government to follow the example of its “main allies,” including France, and recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the phosphate-rich region.

France has yet to publicly endorse Morocco’s proposal, but it has faced repeated accusations from Saharan authorities of violating international law through various actions, including an alleged plan to finance projects in a Rabat-controlled area. The allegations came after former French ambassador to Algeria Xavier Driencourt reportedly signaled in April that Paris was preparing to formally acknowledge Morocco’s Saharan territorial claims.

In its statement on Thursday, Algeria said it noted the French decision with “great regret,” saying it contradicts UN efforts toward a political settlement between the conflicting parties. Algiers said the “counterproductive resolution… [in] no way serves the goals of peace in Western Sahara,” and that it would hold Paris “alone” accountable. The French government has yet to comment.

https://www.rt.com/africa/601683-western-sahara-algeria-warns-france-against-morocco-support/

Macron supports Morocco's plan on Western Sahara, 07.30.2024.

PARIS (Sputnik) — French President Emmanuel Macron supported Morocco's plan on the autonomy of Western Sahara under the sovereignty of Rabat, radio station 'RFI' reported.

In a letter addressed to Morocco's King Mohamed VI, Macron pledged his support for the Western Sahara plan, calling it "the only basis" for resolving the nearly fifty-year conflict with the Polisario Front.

"The present and future of Western Sahara are within the sovereignty of Morocco. Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and unwavering," Macron wrote.

He also noted that the Moroccan plan represents "the only basis for achieving a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions."

Western Sahara is a territory in Northeast Africa that was a colony of Spain and where in 1973 the Polisario Front was founded, supported by Algeria, which advocates a referendum on self-determination of this territory.

Morocco considers Western Sahara its integral part and only allows a wide autonomy for the territory within the kingdom.
Since June 2007, Morocco and the Frente Polisario have held four rounds of negotiations, but all ended without results.

Currently, Morocco controls 80% of the territory of Western Sahara, and the Polisario, 20%.

Since 1991, after an agreement on a ceasefire was reached, a UN peacekeeping mission created by mandate of the UN Security Council has been working in Western Sahara.

Yandex Translate from Spanish.

https://latamnews.lat/20240730/macron-apoya-el-plan-de-marruecos-sobre-el-sahara-occidental-1156502029.html

What will the worsening relations between France and Algeria lead to?, by Ekaterina Postnikova for RBC. 08.17.2024.

It was caused by Paris' position on Western Sahara.

Relations between Algeria and France have worsened over the Western Sahara issue.

Algeria recalled its ambassador to France after the latter recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara. What consequences will this have for Emmanuel Macron and his reputation? In the RBC article.

Why Algeria Recalled Its Ambassador from Paris

The Algerian Foreign Ministry accused France of undermining international law and UN efforts to resolve Western Sahara and announced that it was recalling its ambassador in Paris.

“This is not just a recall of an ambassador for consultations. It is a downgrade of diplomatic representation,” said Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf (quoted by France 24 ). “This is an important step to express our condemnation and disapproval. The recall of the ambassador is a first step, to be followed by others.”

The department did not specify what other measures would be taken.

The reason for the aggravation of relations is that on July 30, French President Emmanuel Macron, congratulating the King of Morocco Mohammed VI on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne, in his message outlined France's position on the territorial dispute in Western Sahara, stating that the "present and future" of this region "is within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty." "Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and unwavering. It now represents the only basis for achieving a political, fair and lasting solution through negotiations in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions," Macron emphasized (the text of his message is cited by the Moroccan publication TelQuel).

Western Sahara  is a territory on the northwest coast of Africa; it borders Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The area is 266,000 square kilometers; the population is 612,000 people. Until 1975, it was a Spanish colony; in that year, Spain signed the so-called Madrid Agreements with Morocco and Mauritania and withdrew its administration from Western Sahara. After that, the two countries divided the territory between themselves; Mauritania subsequently withdrew its troops from Western Sahara and renounced its claims to it.

Since 1973, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (the historical name of this territory), or the Polisario Front, has been active in Western Sahara. It is a military-political organization advocating for independence first from Spain, then from Morocco. Polisario is an abbreviation of the Spanish name Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro. In 1976, the Polisario Front, which was waging a guerrilla war against Morocco at the time, proclaimed an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara. Today, Polisario controls about 25% of the territory of Western Sahara, including the Free Zone in the western part, separated from the other part by the Moroccan Wall, a defensive structure 2.2 thousand km long, built in the 1980s.

The region’s largest city, El Aaiun, is under Moroccan control; in 2021, 22 African countries opened consulates there or in Dakhla, recognizing Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara. In 2020, the United States recognized the kingdom’s claim to the region in exchange for Rabat’s recognition of Israel.

The independence of the SADR has been recognized by approximately 80 countries, but in the 1990s, 39 withdrew or suspended their recognition. The SADR and the Polisario Front are actively supported by Algeria.

Russia takes a neutral position when speaking about the right of the region's people to self-determination. In 1991, as a result of the settlement agreement between SADR and Morocco, the UN Security Council formed the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). At this vote, residents must decide whether Western Sahara will be an independent country or become part of Morocco. The referendum has not yet been held.

The essence of the Moroccan proposal, to which the French president referred, is that Western Sahara should come under Moroccan sovereignty and that defence and foreign policy issues should be transferred to Morocco. But the government of the autonomy would be made up of representatives of the local Sahawari people. The idea of ​​such autonomy was supported by the United States, but the Polisario Front rejected it.

In response to the French leader’s message, King Mohammed VI said he was “particularly pleased by the clear and decisive position” of Paris and invited Macron to visit the country. The Moroccan news agency MAP noted that France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which adds weight to its position.

The Polisario Front and Algeria, which supports the SADR, condemned Macron’s position. According to the Polisario Front, this approach deprives “the people of the Sahara of the opportunity to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence”; the Front accused Paris of “never abandoning its colonial and expansionist approach and continuing to obstruct the efforts of the international community to find a peaceful and fair solution to the decolonization of Western Sahara.” Algeria noted that no French government had ever considered such a position appropriate and that the recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty by the current authorities is a “frivolous” step taken without assessing the possible consequences.

What consequences will France's support for Morocco's position have?

It is worth noting that the recall of the Algerian ambassador was not the end of the matter. As reported by the French publication Le Canard enchaîné , citing a high-ranking source, Algeria has begun sending its citizens expelled from France back. Le Monde notes that this is a very significant tool for putting pressure on Paris, since it is impossible to expel a migrant without a so-called consular pass, issued by his home country if he does not have a passport.

This is not the first crisis in relations between the two countries - problems between the two countries have arisen periodically since Algeria gained independence from France in 1962. In 2021, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris after Le Monde newspaper published excerpts from the transcript of a meeting between Macron and the descendants of French participants in the Algerian War (which lasted from 1954 to 1962). According to Macron, the Algerian authorities "completely rewrote" history - it is "not based on the truth" but on "a discourse based on hatred of France."

In 2022, the presidents of the two countries, Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune, agreed to maintain a permanent dialogue on all issues and created a High Cooperation Council for this purpose; in the same year, the Algerian ambassador returned to Paris.

Relations between Algeria and France have never been friendly, notes Andrey Maslov, director of the HSE Center for African Studies; Algeria's national ideology is largely based on confrontation with the former metropolis and on asserting independence from France. "On the other hand, this confrontation usually does not go beyond certain limits. There is a large Algerian diaspora in France, the two countries have strong economic ties - France is still a key supplier of many types of food and equipment to Algeria, and invests in its oil and gas sector," the expert explained to RBK. "The only thing is that it does not allow the French into the security sphere, preferring cooperation with Russia and China."

The Foreign Policy publication draws attention to the fact that a new round of struggle for Western Sahara began in 2020, when the United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the region. Since then, its authorities have become much more active in developing the territory under their control, building ports, expensive and luxurious hotels. Washington destroyed the international consensus that assumed holding a referendum in Western Sahara. Armed clashes have resumed in the region: the ceasefire declared in 1991 was violated, and clashes continue to this day.

As for France's interest, The Foreign Policy estimates that it is primarily due to the region's resources. Morocco, in particular, offers French companies access to renewable energy projects; the country is also rich in minerals such as phosphate, cobalt, manganese, and Paris is interested in investing in this area as well.

“France’s decision is a significant step in the sense that we are now seeing the loss of Paris’s independent position on Africa as a whole,” Maslov believes. “While Paris previously competed with Washington for influence in Africa, now its approach is built within the logic of the US’s pan-Atlantic policy on the continent.”

https://www.rbc.ru/politics/17/08/2024/66bf5ee69a79475b71fd5e89

U-ropean meddlers can't stop meddling. Exporting war, regime change and economic slavery and calling it democracy and human rights.