The Rag Burns Between France and Morocco: Is the Quai d’Orsay Becoming Hostile to the Makhzen? (Kenti Balla’s contribution)
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- The ongoing crisis between Morocco and France has escalated and shows no signs of abating. The deep-seated disagreements between the two nations have become increasingly difficult to resolve, and French diplomats have taken a more assertive stance in conveying their dissatisfaction with the Moroccan regime. The situation is grave and demands immediate attention.
Gérard Araud, the former French ambassador to the UN and Washington, has been particularly vocal in his criticism of Morocco’s actions. He has accused the regime of engaging in “usual blackmail” against France, which has consistently supported Morocco in the Security Council for decades. Araud has also condemned Morocco’s military invasion of Saharawi territory and its attempts to whitewash its criminal acts.
Araud’s extensive experience in international diplomacy lends weight to his words. He was instrumental in orchestrating machinations at the UN aimed at propping up a people oppressed by colonialism and humanizing the criminal acts of their oppressors. This dishonorable work is unworthy of a country that holds a permanent seat on the Security Council and should be upholding international law, not circumventing and weakening it.
During his tenure as ambassador to the UN, Araud expressed his discomfort with the ignoble role of defending the Moroccan regime. He confided in the famous Spanish actor, Javier Bardem, that Morocco was like a mistress with whom France slept every night, without any particular affection, but out of obligation. This candid admission underscores the complexity of the relationship between the two nations.
The French diplomat expressed a desire to avoid resorting to verbal violence, but the Moroccan regime’s habitual baseness made it impossible. This situation brings to mind the memory of Charles de Gaulle, who once referred to Hassan II in similar terms when he learned of the latter’s involvement in the case of Moroccan dissident Mehdi Ben Barka.
More recently, Moroccan writer Taher Benjelloun, a staunch supporter of the regime, claimed that Emmanuel Macron had used harsh language to describe Mohamed VI, language so severe that Benjelloun could not repeat it on the television program where he made the accusation. The reason for these insults, according to Benjelloun, was the Moroccan regime’s use of the Pegasus software to spy on the French president’s phone.
This incident is reminiscent of the case of Benberka, which was also seen as an act of aggression by the Moroccan regime. These examples, along with others throughout the regime’s history, demonstrate its infamy.
During the Marocgate crisis, a French diplomat confided to journalist Georges Malbrunot that France would be willing to arrest any Moroccan official involved in the scandal ( in reference to Mansouri or Hamouchi) if Belgian justice requested it. This caused a stir in Makhzen.
Hélène Le Gal has also been accused of being responsible for Morocco’s recent defeats within the European Union. Other French diplomats have expressed hostility towards the regime, indicating that the Quai d’Orsay has reached its limit and will no longer tolerate any further deviations from the Makhzen.
One of the criticisms that has been expressed by G. Araud, albeit not publicly acknowledged, is the notion that the Moroccan regime is now positioning its new alliance with the Zionist Entity in opposition to its former alliance with France.
After several years of vehemently defending this alliance, G. Araud has come to the realization that the Moroccan regime’s relationship with France is akin to that of a blackmailer. He describes it as a situation where they are obligated to defend their mistress, whom they are not particularly fond of.
The Moroccan regime has been vocal about its pride in its new alliance with the Zionist Entity and its belief that this partnership will enable them to finally resolve the “Sahrawi file”. They have repeatedly expressed this conviction to anyone who will listen, believing that their new friends will serve as the best intermediaries for the United States.
This new alliance with the Zionist Entity is viewed by the Makhzen as exclusive of its alliance with France. The French, who believed they had provided ample support to the Makhzen, are struggling to comprehend this new logic, which they consider to be both brutal and childish.
It appears that the idyllic relationship between Morocco and France is coming to an end with Emmanuel Macron, and we are slowly moving towards the twilight of a strange relationship where the weaker party pretends to be smug and behaves as if they are stronger.
Through its new policy, Morocco may have fired a fatal bullet in this relationship and committed a strategic error that could cost it dearly on several levels, including at the level of Western Sahara.
Kenti Balla, Sahrawi diplomat, project manager at the SADR representation in Brussels
(Translated with adaptation from: La Patrie News)
Source text in the French language:
