The French Presidency announced on Tuesday that French Ambassador to Morocco Christophe Lecourtier is expected to take over as head of the French Development Agency (AFD), succeeding Rémy Rioux, who has served as director general since 2016 and is set to leave on 3 May.
According to Le Monde, Lecourtier’s appointment requires approval from both the French National Assembly and Senate, as well as endorsement by the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life, before being formally confirmed by the Council of Ministers.
The newspaper highlighted the AFD as one of France’s key instruments of influence abroad, implementing Paris’ development and international solidarity policies by funding and supporting projects in infrastructure, climate, health, and education.
Le Monde also recalled Lecourtier’s diplomatic tenure in Morocco over the past three years, noting that his first months in Rabat were challenging due to a bilateral crisis that began in 2021, primarily linked to the Pegasus espionage affair and French visa restrictions affecting Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, which had complicated the enforcement of French expulsion orders.
After 12 months of negotiations, beginning in July 2023, a resolution was reached in July 2024 via a letter from President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI, reaffirming France’s support for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara.
Le Monde reported that Morocco remains the largest recipient of AFD funding, with 3.2 billion euros allocated to projects in 2024. These include the Casablanca and Rabat tramways, wastewater treatment programs, and reforms in education, employment, and social protection.
Since late 2024, the AFD has also been authorized to operate in the Western Sahara, a move expected to increase French investment in the region. The expansion coincides with Morocco’s efforts to revitalize the territory economically while advancing negotiations on its autonomy proposal, overseen by the United States and aligned with the UN Security Council resolution of 31 October 2025, which calls on all parties to negotiate a practical and feasible autonomy solution.
