In an article published on Wednesday, the French newspaper “Jeune Afrique” addressed the recent tensions in Moroccan-French relations and noted that, relations between Morocco and France are not “friendly”, as French President Emmanuel Macron claims.
During a press conference held on February 27th at the Élysée Palace, following his speech on relations between France and Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the strained relations between Morocco and France, citing issues such as the Pegasus affair (which he described as “a subject of wiretapping revealed by the press”) and the European Parliament’s hostile vote towards the kingdom on January 19th, 2023. However, according to ‘Jeune Afrique,’ President Macron emphasized that his personal relationship with King Mohammed VI was ‘friendly’ and ‘will remain so.’ President Macron arrived in Libreville on March 1st to attend the One Forest Summit.
The French newspaper added that “the message that clearly did not convince Rabat. Questioned by JA, an official source within the Moroccan government asserts on the contrary that “relations are neither friendly nor good, any more between the two governments than between the Royal Palace and the Elysée”.
According to the newspaper, the two subjects mentioned by the French president as sources of tension “are only the illustration of this situation, stated “Jeune Afrique”.
The same source noted that “Other points of tension have been deliberately obscured, including arbitrary visa restrictions, media campaigning, and judicial harassment.”
The same government source adds that “the involvement of the media and certain French circles in the genesis and promotion of the Pegasus affair could not be done without the involvement of the French authorities. Just as the vote of the European Parliament could not pass without the active mobilization of the Renew group dominated by the French presidential majority and chaired by Stéphane Séjourné whose links with the Élysée are of public notoriety “. In the eyes of the Moroccan authorities, these two cases “are a part of an offensive whose objective is to gain influence over Morocco and to contain its internal and foreign policy choices”.
The French newspaper also claimed that “Still according to our authoritative source, Rabat did not appreciate that Emmanuel Macron, during his press conference, gave the impression that the Maghreb only really existed within its diaspora in France (“if the Maghreb is a geopolitical reality today, it is undoubtedly in France that it rushes, much more than in the region”), remarks deemed “as harsh as useless” by our interlocutor.”
“It should be noted that, by chance, Emmanuel Macron and King Mohammed VI are both staying in Gabon at the beginning of March. No meeting was planned between the two heads of state, according to our information”. The same source concluded.