THE king of Morocco, Mohammed VI recently visited three African countries, two of which (Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire) are in Nigeria’s backyard. Even the third-Gabon is not too far off Nigeria’s southern sea frontier flanking the gulf of Guinea. Morocco currently sits in the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
Recall that the kingdom of Morocco withdrew its membership of the then Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union (AU) following the admission of the Saharawi Arab Republic in 1984. So what diplomatic missives are being flown at a time when there has been talk in certain quarters about a possible readmission of Morocco into the fold of the AU?
Also, at a time when diplomats in the country including Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Olufemi George, have added their voices to the fact that Nigeria might have made a mistake in the recognition hurriedly granted the Saharawi Arab Republic back then.
At the recently concluded summit of the heads of state and government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Yamoussoukro, King Mohammed also sent a special envoy, the country’s Prime Minister Abdellah Benkfrane who delivered a lengthy message of support and continued collaboration in the fight against terrorism. Morocco, alongside Libya, Algeria and Mauritania are all borderline states in the huge Sahelian belt.
It is not surprising that since 1984, Morocco had and has still been involved in what it has termed “African engagement”. It is a natural tendency for those shut out of the door to shout the most so those (African nations) inside (AU) would hear the resonance bearing the message that on the surface, shut doors do not shut out partnerships, particularly economic cooperation in a globalised world.
And so, seven years after its last big tour of the continent, Mohammed VI seems to have given a new momentum to his African policy in the need to revitalize the good, old African solidarity diplomacy. The country’s Minister delegate for Foreign Affairs Youssef Amrani was quoted by agencies recently when asked what Morocco was now about, saying: “We offer our African brothers a win-win partnership. Our entrepreneurial expertise and our training schools are also very popular because they have taken into cognizance, African elements and peculiarities in problem solving “ How true is this?
What was discussed in Dakar? What was the international politics and economic moves on offer in Abidjan? And what were all the things said in whispers in Libreville beyond the cooperation agreements signed in the fields of tourism, trade, mining and energy, transport, education, fisheries, police, security and judicial cooperation?
In Senegal, President Macky Sall who took the royal delegation to its eastern settlement of Matam, romanticised with what he called, “the quality of exceptional relations between Senegal and Morocco”
But then, he also spoke about the new opportunities that the visit would open in terms of development. Of particular interest was the inauguration of the Mohammed VI ophthalmologic clinic, as well as the industrial medical plant also known as West Africa Pharma.
In Cote d’Ivoire, the kite of Morocco’s place in the AU was flown. Stressing that several African heads of state have agreed to take the initiative for the return of Morocco to its fold, the country’s president, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, did not mince words in declaring: “Morocco’s place is within the African Union is defined by the fact that the country can bring a lot fresh economic competitiveness to Africa and to the African Union. This north African country of old glory is one of the founding fathers of the Organization of African Unity and Morocco is a much respected country by all and throughout the world”
It is no secret, the news cables are already awash with the fact that bilateral cooperation is expected to be deepened at the upcoming session of what has now been termed “joint grand commission” which would meet in June in Abidjan and in respect of which Ouattara has said “Morocco can bring a lot to African action, thanks to its experience and its diplomacy. That is why we have to use it to herald a good departure and for the consolidation of relations between our countries, mainly through the signing of six cooperation agreements covering several fields”
Following its recent civil war, Cote d’Ivoire is currently going through a phase of reconstruction and reconciliation and would surely need any country –– nay Morocco’s support –– particularly as the north African country already has a presence in Cote d’Ivoire through banks, cement as well as low-cost housing enterprises.
What is more, Cote d’Ivoire has reportedly expressed clear and unequivocal support to the idea that western Sahara as Moroccan territory. It has also labelled the Moroccan initiative for autonomy in the Sahara “the appropriate solution for the final settlement of the conflict” . Leveraging on what was gotten from Morocco during his country’s conflict period. Ouattara was excited by the jointly signed draft agreement covering vocational training, agriculture, sea fisheries, tourism, decentralization, ports and sea transport, industrial cooperation as well as water management.
In Gabon, the story was pretty much the same. Enjoying the company of President Ali Bongo at the Libreville presidential palace in Libreville, six cooperation agreements in different fields were signed. And under the first cooperation agreement, which concerns the field of health, both nations went for the development of the National Gabonese Institute for training, health and social action (INFASS). Morocco would provide technical assistance for the management of health and epidemiology services. The deal also includes providing the Gabonese side with an annual quota in medicine faculties for medical personnel in specialties of that country’s choice. There were other agreements apart from the one on cooperation in civil protection, especially in “preventing and managing major risks that pose a serious threat to the security of people, property and the environment”
But they advanced things further to the point of signing an agreement that provides for the creation of a sectoral Moroccan-Gabonese committee, while authorising Radio Méditerranée Internationale to broadcast on FM in Gabon. This was only a precursor to the establishment of a framework for strategic partnership in the areas of information technologies and systems.
Declaring a new renaissance in partnership following the visit, President Ondimba, told the listening world that “the excellence of the privileged partnership between countries exacts that multiform links be consolidated and broadened in various fields of common interest”.
And then, not surprising, considering all the sweets brought in from Rabat, President Ondimba reiterated “Gabon’s unwavering support to the Moroccan initiative to give the Sahara region a large autonomy within the Kingdom of Morocco’s territorial integrity and national union”
BEFORE our very eyes, leaders in the Arab world ran from pillar to post trying to suppress, quell, or contain the peoples revolution which eventually demanded and got a change of order in the end.
That was the Arab Spring. The sustained uprising that swept away autocratic or stiff-necked leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and is still trying to do so in Yemen and Syria. The latter leaders are currently swimming against the tide trying to resist a people’s power but it seems only a question of time.
The behaviour of Morocco which has now produced what is popularly called “Next Generation Constitution” in the midst of the gale, provides a classic example of responsibility at a time when those who run the status quo in most African states would prefer to sit tight and damn whatever consequences! This has not escaped the eyes of diplomatic watchers!
The Moroccan referendum successfully changed the face of the state before its citizens and the outside world. Recall that the British monarchy reached a similar accord with its citizens in those years when the French revolution of 1789 had produced contagion effects across Europe.
In the international politics that played out during the visits to Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Gabon, has Morocco succeeded in using what it has to get what it wants?
For instance, President Ouattara had used the term “political acumen” in deference to the timing of the visit of the king of Morocco, paying tribute in the process to the Moroccan people “who managed to go through the Arab spring without any damages”
But let us remember that years earlier, to prepare the grounds in the context of these latter visits, Morocco had cancelled the debts owed by least advanced African countries and then continued to pursue the policy of training of African executives (or potential leaders) year in year out.
