A French consulate in Laâyoune, in the Moroccan Sahara?

France plans to open a consulate general and a French cultural institute in the city of Laâyoune in the Moroccan Sahara, which will make it the first European country to establish a diplomatic representation in this region.

Three months after the recognition of the Moroccan nature of the Sahara, France wants to take concrete action. According to a source at the Élysée Palace, France will open the first European diplomatic representation in the heart of the Moroccan Sahara, reports the Institute of Geopolitical Horizons (IGH), specifying that the official announcement of this initiative should take place during of the French president’s speech to the Moroccan Parliament on Tuesday October 29, 2024. The French consulate and institute should officially begin their activities on November 6, a date coinciding with the anniversary of the Green March, one of the most important national events important in Morocco, specifies the same source.