French News Outlet “Le Point” Highlights Morocco’s African Leadership

On March 3rd, French news outlet “Le Point” published an article on the official website highlighting the foundations of Morocco's leadership in Africa, under the directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

On March 3rd, French news outlet “Le Point” published an article on the official website highlighting the foundations of Morocco’s leadership in Africa, under the directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

In an analytical article entitled “Morocco… How the Kingdom managed to build its African leadership”, the news outlet touched on the most prominent elements of the African orientation of Moroccan diplomacy since the beginning of His Majesty’s rule.

According to Le Point, the Kingdom has made a “wonderful breakthrough towards Africa”, through its integration within the continent and its spread as an African power, whether within the scope of its own identity or in its own extension space, noting that this merger is mainly based on diplomatic leverage and a strategy which is “distinctly different from the past.”

The magazine confirmed that “Morocco’s return to the African Union in 2017 and the increasing support from African countries to recognize the Moroccan Sahara – the opening of 15 consulates in the southern provinces in 2020 – raised awareness of a dynamic that has already been going on for years,” noting that Moroccan leadership is also based on bilateral and multi-sectoral diplomacy, embodied in the multiple royal visits to countries of the continent.

Le Point reported that, in a span of 15 years, between 2001, the date of the first visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI that led him to Mauritania, and 2016 the date of the request to return to the African Union, His Majesty made forty visits to countries of the continent, leading to the establishment of multi-sectoral cooperation frameworks.

The French news outlet added that, since 2016, ten African countries out of the 26 officially withdrew their recognition of the Polisario Front, while 28 African countries submitted a proposal to suspend the “Phantom Republic” AU membership, considering that, successful or not, the proposal still constitutes a “decisive reflection in the balance of continental powers,” noting that Morocco is now recognized as a regional power.

The magazine also pointed out that this endeavor was evident through major investments in urban and rural infrastructure, the transition towards industrial production, and the maintenance of an average growth rate of 4% since the first decade of the 21st century, noting that Morocco’s economic presence has since established itself in various sectors in Africa, including mining industries, infrastructure, banking, insurance, agriculture and food industries, telecommunications and finance.

The Kingdom has therefore become, since the mid-2010s, the first African investor in West Africa, and the second at the continental level, preceded by South Africa.

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