France has officially recognized a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty as the only viable solution to resolve the long-standing territorial dispute, President Emmanuel Macron stated in a letter on Tuesday.

The dispute, which dates back to 1975, involves Morocco, which considers Western Sahara part of its territory, and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the region.

As the former colonial power, France has maintained a delicate diplomatic balance between Rabat and Algiers. However, many of France’s Western allies have already endorsed Morocco’s plan.

“For France, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved,” Macron wrote in his letter to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

“Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and constant. For France, it now constitutes the only basis for achieving a just, lasting, and negotiated political solution in line with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”

Macron emphasized that Paris views Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s present and future sovereignty, and stated that France would adhere to this position both domestically and internationally.

The Royal Palace in Morocco welcomed the announcement, calling it a “significant development in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.”

Algeria expressed “great regret” and strongly denounced Paris’ decision, hinting at potential consequences without specifying them.

Algeria has recognized the Polisario’s self-proclaimed Sahrawi republic and supported a United Nations plan for a referendum offering independence as an option.

However, this referendum has never taken place due to disagreements over voter eligibility and procedural conduct, with recent UN Security Council resolutions not mentioning the referendum option and urging parties to find a realistic solution based on compromise.

Spain, the former colonial power in Western Sahara, expressed its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan in 2022.

The US, Israel, and several Arab monarchies also back Morocco’s claim over the territory, with 28 mostly African and Arab countries opening consulates there as a sign of tangible support.

The Polisario Front withdrew from a UN-brokered truce in 2020, but the conflict has remained low-intensity and largely stagnant.