France's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara continues to provoke strong reactions from Algerian officials. This morning, Algeria's Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf revealed that President Emmanuel Macron informed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of France's shift in position on the Sahara conflict on June 13, during the G7 summit in Italy. Attaf added that Tebboune «responded to his French counterpart in a very strict, firm, and precise manner». «President Tebboune considered the new French position to be not just a reiteration of previous stances but something that goes significantly further», the Algerian foreign minister said during a press conference on Wednesday. In response to France's official recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, announced on Tuesday, Algeria decided to immediately withdraw its ambassador from Paris. «The French government has declared its categorical and explicit support for the colonial reality imposed on the territory of Western Sahara», the Algerian Foreign Ministry stated. «This action, unprecedented by any previous French government, has been undertaken by the current administration with great disregard and recklessness, without fully considering the consequences», the statement added.
