Denunciation of the AFD’s decision in Western Sahara
The Sahrawi Community Associations in France are deeply outraged by the news that the French Development Agency (AFD) intends to invest €150 million in Western Sahara. The announcement was made during the recent visit by Agency Director Remy Rioux to occupied El Aaiún and Dakhla.
This investment constitutes direct support for the Moroccan occupation and encourages its systematic policy of human rights violations and repression in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. By engaging in commercial activities in a territory not under Moroccan jurisdiction, the French Development Agency would violate international law, particularly the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and sovereignty over their natural resources.
As you may know, Western Sahara, recognized by the UN as a “non-self-governing territory,” remains illegally occupied by Morocco, according to A/RES/34/37 (1979) and A/RES/35/19 (1980).
The involvement of French companies such as Engie and MGH Energy in green hydrogen and e-fuel projects further aggravates the situation, as they flout the latest rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which will expose them to legal action in the future. Add to this the environmental and social controversies that their projects will generate, such as water consumption in an arid region, the impact on biodiversity, and the risks of pollution associated with infrastructure. In an explosive geopolitical context, no investment project in Western Sahara can succeed unless issues of sovereignty, equity, and the environment are addressed seriously.
France played an active role in legitimizing the Moroccan occupation, wholeheartedly supporting the “autonomy” plan and deploying its diplomacy in international forums, particularly in the UN Security Council, to block any progress toward a self-determination referendum.
Instead of promoting a just solution, Paris prefers to align itself with Rabat’s logic of colonization and plunder, helping to finance the war economy that prolongs the injustices and suffering of the Sahrawi people.
The Sahrawi Community associations in France call for respect for the decisions of the European Court of Justice on Western Sahara and for the immediate suspension of any investment that does not respect the legal status of this territory and the rights of its people.
