France was one of the first countries to offer help They traveled to Morocco as soon as the tragedy became known, but Rabat has so far not accepted the gauntlet and the controversy over the unaccepted offer has escalated over the hours, which have been the crucial moment in the search for survivors in the most affected Regions of the country passed, becoming more and more severe. Up to two times Macron would have offered France’s support with material and rescue teams from early Saturday morning, without despite the extent of the disaster and with a Mohamed VI. to receive an answer who was staying at his residence on the Champs-Élysées at the time of the disaster. The French government took great care over the weekend to conceal any information about the Moroccan monarch’s stay in Paris. In addition, French officials have tried to downplay any disagreements between the two countries. The Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonahas stated that the country “He didn’t refuse any help.” of Paris and has asked not to create “false controversy” at a time when “people need help”. However, the controversy grew when Morocco was seen accepting aid from other countries with which it historically did not have the same relations as it did with France.
The French press speculated this Monday on the possible reasons that clouded the obvious: Relations between the two countries are not going well. And that starts with the personal. Macron and Mohamed VI do not understand each other and proof of this is the repeated postponement of Macron’s visit to Morocco last year. There are several chapters on the origins of distancing, but that of the Pegasus Fall It was particularly painful at the Elysée. It was July 2021 when the scandal broke: The private phones of Macron and several of his most important ministers had been spied on through Israeli-made software that could be used by Moroccan security services. The Elysée asked Israel for explanations for the use of Pegasus and lowered the level of its diplomatic relations with Morocco after a tense phone call between Macron and Mohammed VI that finally broke relations, which by then had already deteriorated due to other problems. Two years later, the legal proceedings continue in a process that contrasts with the decision that the National Court in our country put on hold. Diplomatic relations have deteriorated to such an extent Morocco has not had an ambassador in Paris since January. Paris and Rabat have had a difficult relationship in recent years due to two related geopolitical issues: Western Sahara and Algeria. Morocco has criticized France for not allying with the United States in the Moroccan recognition of Western Sahara, which Rabat declared a “national cause”. Here too the French position is in contrast to the Spanish one. The Sánchez government considered the autonomy plan under Rabat’s sovereignty “the most serious, realistic basis and credible to resolve the dispute.” Paris seems unwilling to move forward on the sensitive issue of the Sahara, not so much because of the refusals, but because of the ambiguous positions held by many analysts Macron’s approaches towards Algeria, something that was little or not liked in Rabat. Algeria traditionally supports the Polisario Front, a group that has fought for the independence of Western Sahara for decades. The visa restrictions for Moroccans that were lifted last December had also previously strained French-Moroccan relations. In short, an accumulation of circumstances that have caused discord between the two.
Let it be known by now, Four French citizens have died in the earthquake that claimed more than 2,000 lives. In France, more than 51,000 people lived in Morocco, according to the State Department. According to the Immigration and Demographic Observatory, there is a Moroccan diaspora of about 1.5 million people in France, including 670,000 with dual nationality.