French officials visit disputed Western Sahara territory

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati visited the disputed Western Sahara on Monday during a trip to Morocco to strengthen cultural ties with the North African nation.

Dati and a delegation of representatives of French cultural institutions made visits to the Moroccan-controlled cities of Laayoune and Dakhla in Western Sahara.

The trip also included a stopover in Tarfaya in southern Morocco, where Dati visited a nineteenth-century fortress and a museum.

“It’s a political moment, a symbolic moment and also a great historical and cultural moment because my three visits (Laayoune, Tarfaya and Dakhla) will witness the signing of agreements in the various fields of culture,” Dati said.

In Laayoune, Dati chaired an official ceremony to inaugurate a French Alliance that will benefit local pupils, students, schools and teaching institutions. The ceremony was attended by her Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and local officials.

Moroccan observers have trumpeted the visit as a victory further cementing their presence in the disputed territory. Though international courts have reaffirmed local residents’ right to self-determination, western nations have gradually backed Morocco. France’s decision to do so last year vaulted Franco-Moroccan relations to an all-time high.

In addition to deepening their political ties, Rabat and Paris also agreed to boost cultural cooperation through a new roadmap and letter of intent on video game production.

Among the French cultural institutions represented in the visit were the National Center for Cinema and Animated Pictures (CNC), the National Library of France (BNF) and the National Audiovisual Institute (INA).

On Tuesday, Rachida Dati will meet several members of the Moroccan government and visit the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat.