3The cause of the Sahara is a sacred cause in Morocco,” says writer Tahar Ben Jelloun

No more quarrels and invectives: French President Emmanuel Macron begins a three-day state visit to Morocco on Monday intended to give new luster to the bilateral relationship after three years of acute crisis. The Moroccan writer and poet Tahar Ben Jelloun will be in the French delegation and will embark on Monday with the president for Morocco. “The Moroccans did not understand why France suddenly stiffened,” remembers Tahar Ben Jelloun. “The most humiliating story was the Visa crisis of 2021, in Morocco people did not understand this behavior,” adds the writer.

In September 2021, France announced that it would halve the number of visas issued for Algeria and Morocco, and those granted to Tunisia by 30%. The reason: Paris criticized Rabat, Algiers and Tunis for dragging their feet in issuing consular passes. This document is necessary to expel nationals to these countries. Paris finally reversed course in December 2022. “They humiliated personalities. Musicians who came for a music festival did not have Visas, businessmen, politicians,” regrets Tahar Ben Jelloun.

Western Sahara at the heart of the trip

The fight against illegal immigration, a bone of contention between the two countries, and Western Sahara will be at the heart of the visit. This former Spanish colony, considered a “non-autonomous territory” by the UN, has pitted Morocco against the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by Algiers, for half a century. After the United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over this territory, Rabat increased pressure on France to do the same.

On July 30, Emmanuel Macron ended up considering that the future of Western Sahara fell “within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty”, opening the way to warming with Rabat and by extension to a new crisis with Algiers. “France is arriving late compared to other European countries. The cause of the Sahara is a sacred cause in Morocco,” says Tahar Ben Jelloun.