French ambassador to Morocco leaves post amid tension

RABAT, Morocco

French Ambassador to Morocco Helen Le Gall said Thursday she was ending her tenure in the North African nation.

The diplomat said her 3-year tenure in Morocco was full of “fruitful cooperation and rich meetings.”

The envoy’s departure comes amid ongoing tension between Rabat and Paris, fueled by the tightening of visa restrictions against Moroccans, and talk of French companies’ withdrawal from Morocco.

While Rabat decried the French visa restrictions as “unjustified,” Paris said it will sharply cut the number of visas to visitors from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, citing that the three countries - former French colonies - were not doing enough to allow their illegal immigrants to return back.