‘Contempt for International Law’: Algeria Slams French Minister’s Visit to W. Sahara
ALGIERS, February 18, 2025 – The recent visit by a French government official to Western Sahara is particularly alarming and demonstrates a “serious contempt for international law” from a permanent member of the Security Council, as stated in a communiqué from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs on Tuesday.
“The visit of a French government representative to Western Sahara is deeply concerning. It is condemnable on multiple fronts, reflecting a notable disregard for international legality by a permanent member of the Security Council,” the statement asserts.
“It further reinforces Morocco’s fait accompli in Western Sahara, a territory where the decolonization process remains incomplete and where the right to self-determination has yet to be realized,” the communiqué adds.
Lastly, “the inappropriate visit by the French official evokes the troubling image of a former colonial power aligning itself with a new one. In doing so, the French government further undermines its credibility and isolates its position regarding the United Nations’ efforts to achieve a resolution to the Western Sahara conflict purely based on respect for international legality,” the statement concludes.
