The Materiality of Data: Infrastructures of Maritime Power Between Vulnerability, Criticality, and Resilience

This article explores the symbolic dimension of the announcement of an Alliance Française branch opening in Laâyoune, Western Sahara — a dimension that has been a constant feature of the long history of French cultural diplomacy. It demonstrates that this diplomacy, which serves as a true barometer of international relations and raises significant questions of sovereignty, also encounters limits in a territory with fragmented recognition. Finally, it examines, on multiple levels, the overlapping stakes of this branch’s foundation for both Morocco and France.