Ramtane Lamamra was replaced as Foreign Minister by a new candidate on Thursday by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who also reformed the government.

According to the President of the Republic, Ahmed Attaf, who is 69 years old, has taken over the ministry that Mr. Lamamra, 71, had previously led between 1996 and 1999. Mr. Lamamra had been in office since June 2021 following a first tenure between 2013 and 2017 as the head of Algerian diplomacy.

Intense tensions between Algeria and Morocco, particularly in relation to the Sahara dispute, have led to the appointment of a new head of diplomacy in Algeria.

Since Spain, the former colonial government, withdrew in 1975, Morocco and the Polisario front—which is backed by Algeria—have been at odds over the Sahara. While Rabat encourages autonomy under its sovereignty, Polisario asks for a self-determination referendum to be held under the auspices of the UN.

The absence of Mr. Lamamra during Josep Borrell, the head of European diplomacy significant ,’s two-day visit to Algiers on March 12 and 13 was questioned on Monday by the publication Le Matin d’Algérie. Yet, it was up to him—this is Lamamra—to greet him. Le Matin recounted that people in Algiers speculated about the minister’s potential “health difficulties,” “disgrace,” or disagreements with President Tebboune.

The newspaper remembered Mr. Lamamra’s initiatives to “restore some sparkle to a lifeless diplomacy bequeathed from (Abdelaziz) Bouteflika,” the former Algerian leader who ruled the country for 20 years before stepping down in April 2019 under pressure from the pro-democracy movement Hirak. Abderrahmane Hamad also takes over for Abderezak Sebgag in the Ministry of Youth and Sport and for former Labor Minister Youcef Cherfa in the Ministry of Transport.

Read Also: Morocco Dismantles in Vienna Algerian slanderer, producer and initiator of multiple drug trafficking networks

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Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reaffirmed his country’s support for the Sahara Autonomy Plan within the scope of Morocco’s territorial integrity on Thursday in Marrakech.
Mr. Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala reiterated the DRC’s support for the Autonomy Plan in the Sahara within the framework of the Kingdom of Morocco’s territorial integrity, which is why it has appointed a Consul General in Dakhla, in a joint statement issued after his talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
In this regard, he reaffirmed the DRC’s support for the search for a lasting solution by preserving the Kingdom of Morocco’s territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty under the exclusive aegis of the United Nations, in accordance with decision 693 of the African Union’s Summit of Heads of State and Government in July 2018, which recognized such exclusivity to the UN with a view to resolving the regional conflict over the Sahara.
The minister praised the Kingdom’s support to the Congolese government’s and international community’s efforts to promote peace, democracy, security, and development in the country.
Mr. Bourita, speaking on behalf of the Kingdom of Morocco, praised His Excellency President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo’s initiatives and actions as President of the African Union (AU) during his mandate to consolidate the security, independence, territorial integrity, and unity of all African States and the continent as a whole.
He also praised the DRC’s commitment to the international community’s efforts to promote peace and regional stability, as well as the trust it has as a subregional actor devoted to security and the fight against terrorism and armed organizations.

Mr. Bourita applauded His Excellency President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo’s efforts to restore peace and security in eastern DRC, and congratulated him on his membership in the East African Community (EAC).

The Moroccan minister stated that the Kingdom fully supports the Nairobi process, which is being led by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the current EAC Chairman, with the goal of neutralizing the negative forces that cause insecurity in the DRC’s east and the Great Lakes sub-region and restoring peace.

He urged the African Union and the United Nations to support the East African Community’s leaders, particularly by participating actively in the quick execution of the peace plan drafted by the heads of state of Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The two ministers also emphasized the importance of improving communication and coordination at multilateral platforms such as the African Union and the United Nations in order to align diplomatic actions at these levels with official positions taken by the two countries on a variety of issues of mutual interest.

In the same spirit, the two parties voiced their commitment to supporting, in a concerted and mutual manner, Moroccan and Congolese candidacies at the level of regional and international organizations.

In this regard, Mr. Bourita thanked his Congolese counterpart for the support provided by the DRC to the election of the Kingdom of Morocco as a member of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for the period 2022-2025 and expressed willingness to support the DRC’s candidacy for the post of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, for the period 2026-2027.

The two ministers stressed the interest shown by the Heads of State in the development of relations of cooperation and economic partnership between the two brotherly countries.
Mr. Bourita reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to support the DRC in its development efforts, particularly in areas with a strong socio-economic impact, including agriculture, health, water, electricity and renewable energies.

The two officials agreed to form cooperative sectoral committees to develop actual initiatives and action plans in the chosen sectors.

While welcoming the establishment of a Morocco-DRC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIMC) in February 2020, the two countries agreed to hold the 6th Morocco-DRC Joint Commission of Cooperation and the Morocco/DRC Economic Forum in 2022, with the goal of promoting trade and economic exchanges between the two countries and utilizing the Congolese consular’s presence in Dakhla, which is expected to become a regional economic hub.

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On Tuesday, March 22, the Moroccan Foreign Minister met with his Ukrainian colleague, Dmytro Kouleba, just minutes after speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Moroccan and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers spoke via phone on Tuesday, March 22nd, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official Twitter account.

M. Nasser Bourita a eu aujourd'hui un entretien téléphonique avec le ministre des Affaires Etrangères de l'Ukraine, M. Dmytro Kuleba. pic.twitter.com/Arb5MlYo26

— Maroc Diplomatie 🇲🇦 (@MarocDiplomatie) March 22, 2022

This debate takes place in the context of Russia’s participation in Ukraine, which was denounced by a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly in which Morocco did not vote. I The Kingdom has expressed “alarm” over the situation in Ukraine while reiterating its support for UN member countries’ territorial integrity.

As a reminder, Ukraine is a significant partner for Morocco, particularly in terms of fruit and vegetable imports and exports of wheat. Furthermore, Morocco had 12,000 citizens in Ukraine, including 8,000 students, who were forced to evacuate the conflict.

Dmytro Kuleba addressed this interaction on Twitter, writing, “We discussed bilateral cooperation, including within the UN, to enhance global humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the light of continued Russian aggression.” Minister Bourita extended his appreciation to Ukraine for evacuating Moroccan students.

Call with Moroccan MFA Nasser Bourita. We discussed bilateral cooperation, including within the UN, for stepping up global humanitarian assistance to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian aggression. Minister Bourita expressed gratitude to Ukraine for evacuating Moroccan students.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 22, 2022

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MFA Bourita stated at the opening of the “Forum of South-South Parliamentary Dialogue” of Senates and Equivalent Councils from Africa, the Arab World, Latin America, and the Caribbean, organized by the House of Advisors under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, that Morocco, as a United Nations member concerned with adhering to the principles of international law, will be resolutely committed to achieving the objectives of this initiative.

MFA Bourita also stated that the Kingdom of Morocco will make every possible effort to support any initiative aimed at strengthening this important aspect of parliamentary diplomacy, as well as mobilize its experience and capabilities to form an ambitious partnership to serve the peoples of these regions’ goals.

https://twitter.com/marocdiplomatie/status/1499709740686925828?s=24

He went on to say that many previous rapprochement or integration initiatives, in various forms, have demonstrated that their ability to achieve the desired goals is dependent on their avoidance of attempts to involve them in controversial issues that oppose their founders’ aspirations and objectives, turning them into a terrain of conflict and ideological alignment, and an attempt to win fictitious battles whose real parties have failed to promote them.

This forum, MFA Bourita noted, represents more than 2.2 billion people and brings together countries with a total GDP of more than $8,200 billion dollars. These countries have great potential for collaborative development, wealth creation, profitable investment, and commercial, technological, and cultural exchanges.

Morocco’s conviction is that the current and future challenges confronting the peoples of the South necessitate the adoption of a collective approach, based on the principle of common development, taking into account the needs and specificities of each country, and working to enhance its national efforts in the context of a participatory approach at the regional or provincial level, stated MFA Bourita, recalling that the process of reforms and major development paves the way for this.

Morocco occupies a special position at the regional and continental level, opening prospects for dialogue and cooperation with friendly and brotherly countries, particularly in Africa, the Arab world, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as a result of the experience it has accumulated in several strategic and vital sectors such as renewable energy, food security, sustainable exploitation of natural resources, as well as new technologies and pharmaceutical industries.

The Councils assembled today, by definition, include specialized skills and expertise, as well as professional and territorial representations capable of conveying the aspirations and concerns of citizens and the bodies they represent, which will have “a positive impact on the quality of initiatives and proposals that you will discuss in this forum, and give them a practical aspect capable of making them more feasible and traceable in the field.”

MFA Bourita emphasized that constructive dialogue and exchange of views between these institutions would bring together peoples and countries from regions that share deep human, cultural, and civilizational values, as well as develop mechanisms for integration, cooperation, and exchange of experiences and best practices in critical areas such as stimulating economic growth, increasing competitiveness, promoting social integration, and reducing disparities and improving governance.

In this sense, he expressed confidence that “this forum will contribute to the coordination of political positions in international forums on issues of common interest to the peoples of our regions, within the framework of full respect for the principles and customs of international law, including respect for countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Minister believed that parliamentary diplomatic work had become a parallel dimension to governmental diplomatic work, particularly in countries that have made the democratic path a strategic choice that values the constitutional competences entrusted to legislative institutions and recognizes them as an important actor in the strengthening of people-to-people cooperation and the promotion of global security and peace.

MFA Bourita also expressed his satisfaction with the accomplishments of various parliamentary gatherings in recent years, through joint action against the problems confronting the peoples of Africa and the Arab world, as well as the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, in pace with the rapid changes and growing challenges that these regions are experiencing.

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Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, had a series of talks on the sidelines of the sixth European Union-African Union conference in Brussels on Thursday.

Bourita, who is leading the Moroccan delegation to the summit, met with António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and conducted meetings with Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Foreign Minister.

Bourita also met with Karl Nehammer, the Austrian Chancellor.

The EU-AU Summit is a new chance for Morocco to reaffirm its political commitment at the highest level, which is in accordance with the Royal Vision for a wealthy, liberated Africa capable of taking control of its destiny, through a high-level presence led by HM King Mohammed VI.

In addition to Morocco’s active participation in all segments (intergovernmental, private sector, NGOs) organized as a prelude to the summit, Morocco’s co-chairmanship of the round table on Education, Culture, Vocational Training, and Migration and Mobility, which will take place on Friday, is a mark of recognition and renewed confidence in the Kingdom’s position, thanks to the Royal leadership, with its African brothers and European friends and allies.

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Morocco took part in the sixth European Union-African Union conference, which began Thursday afternoon in Brussels.
Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, leads the Moroccan delegation.

If the summit provides an opportunity for the European side to lay the groundwork for a renewed and deeper partnership with the African Union, Morocco will affirm its political commitment at the highest level through its qualitative presence, led by HM King Mohammed VI, which is part of the Royal Vision for a prosperous, emancipated Africa capable of taking control of its destiny.

In addition to Morocco’s active participation in all segments (intergovernmental, private sector, NGOs) in the run-up to the summit, the Kingdom’s co-chairmanship of the round table on Education, Culture, Vocational Training, and Migration and Mobility on Friday is a sign of renewed confidence in the Kingdom’s place among its African brothers and European friends and partners, thanks to the Royal leadership.

This summit, according to the Council of Europe, “will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish the foundations for a revived and deepened EU-AU cooperation with political commitment at the highest level, based on trust and a clear understanding of our common interests.”

African and European leaders are set to debate how the two continents might boost prosperity, with the goal of launching an ambitious Africa-Europe investment package that addresses global issues like climate change and the current health crisis.

According to the same source, the two sides would also examine instruments and ways to achieve stability and security through a revamped architecture for peace and security.

The summit will be organized around the following themes:

Financing growth, health systems and vaccine production, agriculture and sustainable development, education, culture, and vocational training, migration and mobility, private sector support, economic integration and peace, security and governance, and finally climate change and energy transition, digital connectivity, infrastructure, and transportation.

At the conclusion of the summit, a joint declaration on a shared vision for 2030 should be adopted.

The fifth EU-African Union Summit was place in Abidjan on November 29 and 30, 2017. On that occasion, the EU and AU presidents signed a joint declaration defining shared priorities for the EU-Africa collaboration in four important areas:

Economic Opportunities for Youth, Peace and Security, Mobility and Migration, and Governance Cooperation.

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Nasser Bourita , Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Africans Living Abroad, and Annalina Birbock, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, met for the first time through visual communication technology on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, and agreed to breathe new life into bilateral relations of their own quality in all areas, in a spirit of coherence, mutual respect, and effective policies.

The Ministers praised the content of the letters sent between His Excellency President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Franke-Walter Steinmeier, and His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in which they emphasized the two nations’ mutual interest in forming a new alliance.

They also emphasized the importance of friendly and close relations between the two countries, agreeing to start a new discussion aimed at clearing up urgent misunderstandings and developing comprehensive bilateral ties.

The Ministers praised the two countries’ strong potential for cooperation, emphasizing their shared interest and advancing those ties, particularly in view of the challenges and necessities of the post-Corona recovery.

The Ministers agreed that cooperation should be resumed in all areas and with all actors involved.

In the following weeks, the outlines for future responses to regional and cross-cutting concerns will be established, with the goal of revitalizing and deepening conversation and cooperation.

In this context, the German Minister welcomed His Majesty’s Ambassador’s return to Berlin, emphasizing the imminent arrival of the Federal Republic of Germany’s new Ambassador in Morocco.

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The African Union’s (AU) Assembly’s 35th Ordinary Session began on Saturday at the Pan-African organization’s headquarters in Addis Ababa.

HM King Mohammed VI is represented at this 35th session by Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad. The theme is “Building Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthen Agriculture, Accelerate Human Capital, Social, and Economic Development.”

The 35th Assembly of the African Union will consider the Report of the Executive Council’s 40th Ordinary Session, which took place on February 2-3, 2022, as well as other reports, during its three sessions: Peace, Security, and Governance, African Citizen Well-Being: Health, Nutrition, and Food Security, and Regional Integration through a Green, Inclusive, and Resilient Economic Recovery.

Other topics on the Assembly’s agenda include the Annual Report of the Union and its Organs, including the Heads of State’s Specific Thematic Issues, Champions, and draft Legal Instruments.

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Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Africa and Moroccans Abroad, put the words “the Kingdom’s constants” and cemented the Kingdom’s concessions to a peaceful settlement of the Moroccan Sahara question, under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations, with calm and diplomatic stability in support of international legitimacy in support of Moroccan sovereignty over his Saharan territory.

Mr. Staffan de Mistura’s letters as the UN Secretary-Personal General’s Envoy to Moroccan Sahara were clear and firm, and they were in line with international legitimacy and the spirit of cooperation demonstrated by Morocco and the UN in order to resolve Algeria’s spectacular aggression.

The Moroccan position, as stated in King Mohammed VI’s letters on the 45th and 46th anniversary of the Green March, was accurate and deeply diplomatic, according to the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first is Morocco’s commitment to resuming the political process, which sends a strong message that Morocco is unconcerned about all the “splinters” that Algeria and the Polisario are carrying out behind the wall as part of the so-called “concentrated cuts,” which go beyond the “Polisario” extremist group’s activities on Algerian territory.

In contrast to Algeria, which is home to an armed group that threatens the security and safety of a UN Member State, Morocco’s commitment to the political process is a clear expression of its commitment to international legitimacy, putting it in a position of aggression.

The second basis mentioned in the Foreign Ministry communiqué, which is based on royal speeches on the 45th and 46th anniversary of the Green March, is that the political process must resume “under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations body,” sending a strong signal to all parties seeking to involve regional or continental bodies in this triggered conflict. This is primarily the case of Algeria, which is attempting to involve the African Union in the matter, as well as a reference to certain European Union parties that are occasionally attempting to adopt political positions in this case, despite the fact that they are far from it.

The third point is that the Moroccan self-government initiative is the foundation for a political solution. It is important to emphasize that Morocco has been able to impose the draft solution that it has submitted because it is the only realistic project that has been recognized by the major powers, most notably the United States, as serious and credible.

This foundation is also consistent with the UN trend of finding a negotiated political solution that is acceptable to all parties involved, which runs counter to some obvious and transcending Security Council resolutions, particularly those relating to self-determination through referendum, whose implementation has become impossible and is contrary to the spirit of mediation and UN welfare.

The fourth is the round tables in the presence of the four parties, in accordance with the United Nations approach at a time when Algeria opposes this approach because it is ineffective. In stark contrast to reality and illusion, the latter engaged in various forms of financing, arming, and obstructing a solution to the Sahara conflict while claiming not to be a party to the conflict.

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Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, met with Staffan de Mistura, UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for the Moroccan Sahara, on Thursday in Rabat.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, this working session was held in the presence of Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations.
According to the same source, de Mistura’s regional visit is part of the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2602, which was adopted on October 29, 2021, in which the UN Executive Body reiterated its call to the parties to continue their commitment to the roundtable process in a spirit of realism and compromise in order to achieve a realistic, pragmatic, and sustainable political solution based on compromise.
The Moroccan delegation reiterated the fundamentals of the Kingdom’s position, as stated in His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s speeches on the 45th and 46th anniversaries of the Green March.
Matter of fact, the Sovereign reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to the resumption of the political process under the exclusive auspices of the UN to achieve a political solution on the basis of the Moroccan Initiative for Autonomy, within the framework of the round table process, in the presence of the four participants, in the said speeches, the statement concluded.

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