Algerian National Assembly cuts ties with French Senate over a Laayoune visit

The Algerian National Assembly (the first chamber of the Algerian parliament) announced in a statement, Wednesday, the immediate suspension of its relations with the French Senate, including the parliamentary cooperation protocol signed between the two councils on September 8, 2015, following the visit made by the President of the French Senate, Gérald Larcher, to Laayoune.

The council condemned this visit, stating that it «absolutely rejects it and considers it a blatant challenge and a clear bias, even in harmony with colonial policies and the hostile narratives of the Moroccan regime against international legitimacy and United Nations charters».

The Algerian National Assembly has condemned the recent visit of a French official, calling it «a recurring slip and a highly dangerous deviation, reflecting the rise of the French far-right and its dominance over the French political scene and decision-making».

The Assembly further stated that the visit is «an unacceptable and unsurprising act that disregards international legitimacy and strongly contradicts the decisions of the UN Security Council - of which this country is a permanent member - which are supposed to defend human rights and the right of colonized peoples to self-determination, not to attempt to undermine, erase, and deny them».

The Algerian National Assembly held France responsible for the consequences of this visit, which it described as «irresponsible, provocative, and ostentatious».

This decision by the Algerian parliament follows the Algerian Foreign Ministry's earlier condemnation of French Culture Minister Rachida Dati's visit to Laayoune, labeling it «dangerous» and «provocative».

Algerian-French relations have been strained since the French President's decision last July to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.

Algeria maintains in international forums that it is not a party to the conflict, asserting that the conflict is between Morocco and the Polisario Front. However, Algeria utilizes its diplomatic and financial resources to undermine Morocco's territorial integrity.

As of now, the Polisario Front has not issued any statement regarding Gérald Larcher's visit to Laayoune.