French Culture Minister Rachida Dati began a visit on Monday to disputed Western Sahara where she will meet officials and open a French cultural center in a show of support for Moroccan sovereignty over the desert territory.

Algeria on Tuesday denounced a visit by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati to Western Sahara, after Paris recognized Moroccan sovereign

Algeria has criticized French Culture Minister Rachida Dati’s visit to the disputed Western Sahara, calling it “objectionable on multiple levels.” Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, has been under Moroccan control for several decades.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati began a visit on Monday to the disputed Western Sahara, a sign of French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the desert territory. The long-frozen conflict

After Rachida Dati's trip to the territory controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, an Algerian foreign ministry statement posted on social media on Tuesday said the visit 'reflects blatant disregard for international legality by a permanent member of the UN Security Council.