2023-05-05 19:59:48
The president of the Les Républicains (LR) party, Éric Ciotti, and Rachida Dati, a member of the party and an emblematic figure of the French right, expressed the clear position of their party recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara.
They also stressed, in an interview published Friday by the weekly “Tel Quel”, that this major French political party “adheres to the autonomy solution” proposed by the Kingdom.
“My position is very clear (…) I recognize this sovereignty”, underlined Mr. Ciotti, currently visiting Morocco at the head of a delegation from his party, recalling having wanted to express very clearly Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. , several years ago, in particular in the context of the process of nominating the LR candidate for the 2017 presidential election where he competed.
He also recalled that he expressed this “very clear” position in a tweet last March.
Referring to the Moroccan autonomy initiative, Mr Ciotti noted that this solution shows the will of Moroccans to find a form of compromise acceptable to all, pointing out that it is all the more laudable since what has been accomplished in the Sahara region is quite remarkable.
“Colossal investments have been made there. All those who went there reminded me of this”, he continued, stressing that the local populations adhere to the process initiated by Morocco in a region in full expansion.
“What the Moroccan authorities have accomplished is a success,” he said, noting that the political formation over which he presides adheres to this solution of autonomy proposed by Morocco and which is recognized today by many great democracies.
He also maintained that “the gesture expected from France by the Moroccan authorities must happen”, specifying that the LR party, which is in the opposition, can carry this debate and go in this direction.
Asked about the official recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in the event that his political formation comes to power in 2027, Mr. Ciotti assured that “we are not on a commitment or on a promise. It is a constant position that we have always had”.
In the same interview, Ms. Dati, who is part of the delegation accompanying Mr. Ciotti, affirmed that “there is no doubt about the sovereignty and Moroccanness of the Moroccan Sahara”, noting that “historically, France was one of the first countries to recognize this Moroccanness and to support His Majesty the King’s proposals forever”.
“There has never been any doubt in our political group as to the support of this position which is obvious”, she insisted. “We seem to be questioning this evidence today, but the evidence must be confirmed. It is not questioned, it is not questionable”, she affirmed.
It should be recalled that the president of the LR party had talks on Thursday with the president of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), Aziz Akhannouch.
In a statement to the press at the end of these talks, Mr. Ciotti pleaded for the compensation of the errors committed and the lack of consideration shown towards Morocco, underlining the “very powerful” links uniting the Kingdom and the France.
With MAP
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