 Fifty countries from all continents support autonomy and twenty-five countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas have opened Consulates in Moroccan Sahara cities
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, gave an exclusive interview to "The Star", one of South Africa's leading newspapers.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, gave an exclusive interview to "The Star", one of South Africa's leading newspapers.
It is now more important for Morocco and South Africa to work to multiply, reciprocally, the opportunities to better understand the political, economic and geopolitical realities of one another, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita.
"I strongly believe that the strengthening of ties between South Africa and Morocco will be for the benefit of the continent," Bourita said in an exclusive interview with The Star, one of South Africa's leading newspapers, published on Monday.
"Morocco believes that working together, in a sound and well-balanced manner, will empower Africa in the international arena," he stressed, adding that the Kingdom has been "calling for more effective solidarity, co-operation and co-ordination in Africa, to enable our continent to be more resilient and well-prepared for contingencies and emergencies."
"We continue to work towards stronger relations with Pretoria," Mr. Bourita underlined. "Both South Africa and Morocco are recognized as major actors and players in the continent and beyond. They have every interest in taking advantage of the enormous potential they hold."
Morocco and South Africa are "called upon to play major roles in the African integration process," said Morocco's FM, who explained that the two countries have been "the largest investors in the continent, and the largest in their respective regions."
In the same respect, Mr. Bourita indicated that "Morocco and South Africa are among the very few African countries that currently have the tools and the know-how to efficiently address the needs of the African continent in COVID vaccines and medical equipment."
Concerning the two African countries' common history, The Star recalled that "the Kingdom of Morocco was among the staunchest supporters of the African National Congress (ANC)." In this consideration, Mr. Bourita specified that "Nelson Mandela and South African freedom fighters used to train in the eastern part of Morocco, between the cities of Oujda and Berkane."
Mr. Bourita argued that "the existence of differences in opinion is a healthy thing. But, the attitude of our brothers in Pretoria on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, unfortunately, has too often gone beyond a difference of opinion but has been of adversity."
"Morocco has always been open to dialogue, as long as it is a dialogue of mutual respect and a sincere desire to clean up relations and bring them to their full potential," the minister added.
When asked about the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, Mr. Bourita noted that "since 2007, all UN Security Council resolutions, including the latest one, resolution 2548, have supported the Moroccan approach by underlining the preeminence of the initiative for autonomy, its seriousness and its credibility."
"As a matter of fact, the autonomy plan is the one and only way forward for a final solution to this regional dispute, namely autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty," he added.
The Moroccan Foreign minister stressed the imperative of being "mindful of the realities on the ground including the increasing number of countries that recognize the Kingdom’s full sovereignty over its Sahara."
In this regard, he specified that "fifty countries from all continents have expressed unequivocal support for the Moroccan Initiative for Autonomy in the Sahara. Twenty-five countries from Africa, Asia and the Americas have opened consuls general in the two main cities of the Moroccan Sahara; Laayoune and Dakhla."
Even before its return to the African Union (AU), ties have never been broken with African countries, said Morocco’s minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita.
“Just because Morocco was not in the AU, it did not mean that it was not engaged in Africa. It’s quite the contrary actually. Not only ties have never been broken with African countries, but they have been strengthened in an unprecedented way. During this period, Morocco has signed nearly a 1 000 co-operation agreements with African countries,” Bourita pointed out in an interview with South-African newspaper The Star published on Monday.
Joining the AU has only enabled Morocco to amplify this commitment and to translate it to the multilateral level, the minister noted, adding that since its return to the AU, Morocco has contributed decisively to all issues on the AU's agenda.
“It has taken a very active part in the crucial AU reform process. It is a major donor to the AU Peace Fund, and promotes the financial sustainability of the AU,” Bourita recalled.
HM King Mohammed VI has been designated as a leader on the migration issue, the minister said, adding that the Sovereign presented in this regard an African agenda for migration that was adopted by the AU.
Morocco now hosts the African Migration Observatory in Rabat, which is a direct implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which was adopted in Morocco, he underlined.
Regarding the Kingdom’s vision for the continent and its hopes for the continent post-Covid19, Bourita said that Africa is a land for hope.
“It is worth remembering the realities that we tend to hide because of pervasive pessimism. Africa has a young population that is set to double by 2050.”
In the Covid-19 context, Morocco’s stand has been highlighted by the Kingdom’s initiatives in humanitarian aid and assistance to African states, he said, recalling Morocco’s initiative to assist 25 African brotherly countries in their national efforts to fight the pandemic.
“The imminent production of a Covid-19 vaccine by Morocco confirm, yet again, Morocco’s commitment for a united, strong and resilient Africa,” he stressed.
Commenting Africa’s strategy to end armed conflicts on the continent, the minister noted that many of the conflicts in Africa are, in a way or another, bound by the same underlying factors all linking to development issues and economic hardship.
“The current strategy is a step in the right direction. However, this strategy alone cannot bring about peace in Africa. It must be bound to other initiatives which, as stated earlier, must focus on offering better livelihoods and conditions for local populations to thrive in, and negate situations from which conflict may arise,” Bourita underlined.
Morocco’s contribution to conflict resolution in the continent is one which seeks to reconcile the different parties to a particular armed conflict, and steer clear as swiftly and convincingly as possible from arms, he said.
“Without dialogue, lasting peace cannot be achieved. This is what we have sought to do with regards to the some of the continents conflicts,” the minister explained.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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