Mélenchon Reaffirms UN Stance on Western Sahara Amid Political Storm

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Following Sébastien Delogu’s Visit to Algeria, LFI Leader Rejects French Interference and Calls for Respect of International Law on Sahrawi Self-Determination

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Algiers, Algeria | July 5th, 2025 — In a move that may recalibrate France’s political discourse on the Western Sahara issue, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), has firmly reiterated his alignment with international law and the United Nations-led process for resolving the longstanding conflict. The declaration, made via a pointed message on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, came in the wake of mounting controversy surrounding LFI deputy Sébastien Delogu’s recent visit to Algeria.

The political reverberations triggered by Delogu’s presence in Algiers were immediate. His support for the Sahrawi cause and public call for a UN-supervised referendum stirred a hornet’s nest among the French right and far-right, with accusations flying over alleged partisanship and “meddling” in sensitive diplomatic terrain. However, far from retreating, Delogu doubled down on his stance, tweeting:
“Since the beginning, I have stood behind international law and its competent bodies to resolve border disputes peacefully—through a referendum and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.”

The episode forced Mélenchon—long criticized for ambiguity on the matter—to publicly reaffirm his and LFI’s official position:

“The France Info journalist this morning, along with various network operatives, are trying to turn the Sahara question into a tool of popular division—forcing different communities in France to take sides and clash. I forbid any journalist from speaking on my behalf. The position of La France Insoumise and myself has always been this: the position of the UN, no more, no less. No French interference. Full stop.”

This bold clarification cut through years of political opacity, long maintained by Mélenchon’s camp to preserve its complex historical ties with Morocco—especially given that the LFI leader himself was born in Tangier and is known to retain emotional and personal links with the kingdom.

The shift in tone is especially striking when compared to Mélenchon’s remarks in Morocco last October, shortly after the Al Haouz earthquake. Then, while visiting the quake-hit areas, he had seemed to validate the “new parameters” shaping the global view of the Western Sahara dossier. Citing the positions of the United States, the Zionist entity, and Spain in support of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, Mélenchon called on France to “understand” the new diplomatic landscape and avoid “creating friction with Moroccans.”

But the latest declaration signals a marked departure from such realpolitik. It comes nine months after President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara—influenced by the Pegasus spyware scandal—and on the heels of growing French-Algerian tensions.

In this new political context, Mélenchon’s tweet is seen by observers as a strategic recalibration—an effort to re-anchor his party’s foreign policy in principles of legality, multilateralism, and decolonization. It also reflects the increasing political pressure within France to respond clearly to Algeria’s expectations of solidarity on issues of national sovereignty and anti-colonial justice.

Source:
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Official Statement on X: https://x.com/JLMelenchon/status/1941189274549776551

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