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The Western Sahara town of Dakhla will receive a new 3 gigawatt power cable courtesy of the French government. On April 26, 2024, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced that a cable will connect Dakhla to Casablanca, one of Morocco’s largest cities. After years of frosty relations between Paris and Rabat, France appears ready to re-engage with North Africa, and in particular to finance the region’s transition to green energy. Western Sahara, on the other hand, is a non-self-governing territory on Morocco’s southern border, and there has been a long-standing territorial dispute between Morocco and rebel groups. France’s latest venture signals a move towards recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory.
During his visit to Rabat, Prime Minister Le Maire confirmed France’s “readiness to participate in financing this project.” This follows previous statements made by another French official in February. Foreign Minister Stéphane Sojourne expressed support for Morocco’s investments in Western Sahara and Rabat’s autonomy plans for the territory, although Sojourne did not support Morocco’s claim to full sovereignty.
Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara are weak, and in 2020 the United States became the first UN member state to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty claims (in exchange for normalizing relations between Morocco and Israel). This was another disappointing foreign policy choice by President Donald Trump. President Trump reversed decades of support for autonomy for the Saharawi people (the indigenous people of Western Sahara) in favor of Israel and repaired relations with Morocco. Irrespective of this incident, Morocco’s plans for the region have been in place for many years, with Western Sahara Resource Watch saying Morocco had been planning to build a new port in Dakhla since 2010. France’s support for Morocco’s goals makes these goals even more likely. But it also risks opening up a conflict with neighboring Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front, a rebel group recognized by the United Nations as the legitimate representative of the Saharawi people. Algeria would view Morocco’s full autonomy as a challenge to Morocco’s importance and influence in North Africa.
At the end of 2023, Morocco and France ended a two-year severance of diplomatic relations. Although these disagreements are rooted in historical colonial relations, they arose from Morocco’s goals of greater independence and France’s cooperation with Algeria. Another major issue was France’s neutral position on Moroccan autonomy in Western Sahara, but that now appears to have changed and helped mend relations. The Western Sahara region is sparsely populated but important for natural resources, coastal access, and Morocco’s growing influence in North Africa.
France’s pledge to finance a 3 gigawatt power cable linking Dakhla to Casablanca highlights a major shift in both diplomatic relations and influence in North Africa. By aligning itself with Morocco’s goals for Western Sahara, France is demonstrating both a reinvigorated commitment to the region and support for Morocco’s sovereignty claims. The move could also increase tensions with neighboring Algeria, which supports the rebel Polisario Front. Nevertheless, Paris and Rabat have expressed their intention to mend past differences and cooperate on efforts on Western Sahara. As power relations in North Africa continue to evolve, the impact of this partnership will extend beyond energy infrastructure and shape shifts in the geopolitical landscape and regional power.
