In the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday night, French President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed his country’s and its people’s unwavering support for one another while brushing off concerns about the ties between Paris and Rabat. This occurs due to Morocco’s refusal of assistance offers made by France.
Macron stated these words in a video clip released on X, previously known as Twitter. “We are at your side today and tomorrow,” he added. “What happened in France was shocking… we are here, and we can provide direct aid to the victims of this tragedy.”
The French capital has made available 5 million euros in help for Moroccan nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) participating in humanitarian activities. Morocco has received assistance from Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates despite not taking up the offer that was made.
“We will be there in the long term on a humanitarian level and medical level for reconstruction, for cultural and heritage aid, and in all areas where the Moroccan people and the Moroccan government consider that we will be useful,” Macron stated. “We will be there on a long term humanitarian level and medical level.”
He criticized “controversies that have no reason to be.”
Since Macron sought to become closer to Algeria, ties with France, a former colonial power where many Moroccans dwell, have been strained. Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Rabat in 2021, accusing Rabat of “hostile acts.”
In addition, Morocco has been vocal in its criticism of France for failing to follow the lead of the United States and Israel in recognizing the “Moroccan nature” of the Western Sahara. Morocco controls roughly 80 percent of the Western Sahara, a contested territory.
The most recent estimates, which were released on Tuesday evening, indicated that the earthquake had claimed the lives of more than 2,900 people while the number of wounded persons had more than doubled to over 5,500. There are still a great many missing.
