Algeria withdraws ambassador from France over recognition of Western Sahara autonomy plan

Algiers, July 30 (IANS) The Algerian government decided to withdraw its ambassador from France "immediately" in response to the French government's recognition of "Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara," announced the Algerian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry criticised in a statement the French government's support for the "colonial reality" imposed on Western Sahara, a move the ministry claimed no previous French administration had taken.

It described the decision of the French government as being made "with great disdain and indifference" and without a proper assessment of its consequences.

The ministry noted that by endorsing the Moroccan autonomy plan as the sole solution under "alleged" Moroccan sovereignty, the French government is accused of "violating international legitimacy and denying the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination."

It added that the stance contradicts the UN's ongoing efforts to complete the "decolonization of Western Sahara and evades France's responsibilities as a permanent UN Security Council member."

The statement announced that Algeria would be represented in France by a charge d'affaires, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, which was made public on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron recognized the plan Morocco made in 2007 to "offer Western Sahara autonomy under its sovereignty."

Algeria and Morocco have been locked in a bitter rivalry for decades over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

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