The appearance of France’s ambassador to Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, standing in front of a full map of the Kingdom of Morocco was no mere protocol coincidence—it was a carefully calibrated political signal.
The image, posted on the embassy’s official social media accounts and showing the Southern Provinces within the national territory, reads like an explicit declaration of Paris’ alignment with a new discourse: clear support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
🇫🇷🌞🇲🇦 Et si vous commenciez la journée avec nous ?
🔊La rentrée à l’Ambassade de France au Maroc !Et vous, quel est votre premier geste quand vous arrivez au bureau le matin ? pic.twitter.com/RCq07Ea0gW
— La France au Maroc 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@AmbaFranceMaroc) September 1, 2025
From Ambiguity to Clarity
For many years, France’s position on the Sahara was couched in deliberately vague diplomatic language: implicit support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, but without the decisive political leap taken by Washington, Berlin, or Madrid. This hesitation weighed heavily on Moroccan–French relations and repeatedly raised questions in Rabat: why does Paris delay in clarifying its stance?
Today, Lecourtier carries the responsibility of correcting this imbalance. Since his appointment in 2022, he has multiplied gestures pointing in this direction, culminating in his November 2024 visit to Laâyoune. The trip went beyond protocol: he brought fifty French business leaders, met with local elected officials and governors, and launched cultural and educational projects.
The Diplomacy of Image and Unspoken Messages
The ambassador’s recent photo is not merely a backdrop for diplomatic speech. It is a subtle pressure card to reset bilateral relations. It reflects the Élysée’s recent statement: France sees autonomy as the only solution to the conflict. At the same time, it sends a message to French domestic audiences, where the issue has long remained contested between advocates of “strategic ambiguity” and those who argue that economic and political interests demand greater clarity with Rabat.
Beyond the Image: The Test of Credibility
One central question remains: can a single photo of the ambassador in front of a map erase years of hesitation? Rabat, long accustomed to postponed promises, now awaits tangible steps: greater investments in the Southern Provinces, stronger positions within the European Union and the United Nations, and an explicit political stance that leaves no room for ambiguity.
