The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, took part, on Monday 6 February, in the 1137th ministerial meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), to assure the Kingdom’s constant support to the stability and territorial integrity of Sudan.

Participating in the 1137th session of the ministerial meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, by videoconference, on the examination of the situation in Sudan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, assured that Morocco will also be in total solidarity with this brotherly country and its people in the choices that will be made by them.

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During this “demonstration of support for Sudan”, Bourita reaffirmed the Kingdom’s solidarity with brotherly Sudan and reaffirmed its strong support for its security and stability, as well as for its national unity and territorial integrity. He thus specified that “we are not here to judge, we are here to help. It is an obvious fact, perhaps, but an important one to remember”.

For the Moroccan Minister, this is a new and hopeful phase, which began with the signing of the “Political Framework Agreement” of 5 December 2022, and the commitment of the parties, since 8 January, in talks for an orderly transition. He stressed that the political process has been relaunched with, this time, real prospects for stabilising democratic institutions and took the opportunity to welcome the important developments in this regard, while paying tribute to all Sudanese stakeholders for having made this possible.

Bourita also praised the efforts of the UN, the AU and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), which have a crucial role in facilitating a credible and inclusive political process, noting that the continuity of this trilateral engagement is crucial for the preservation of the 5 December agreement and to support Sudan in overcoming its political and economic challenges.

“It is now, when the goal is within reach, that the stakeholders are, more than ever, faced with their historic responsibility: that of taking the side of dialogue and the supreme interest of the Nation”, he continued, specifying that “to be a qualitative step, the 5 December Agreement is neither an end in itself, nor the end of the road”.

In this regard, Bourita called on all parties to overcome differences and be ready to make the necessary political compromises.

“The dismantling of the remnants of the past should be reflected in the consolidation of strong and independent democratic institutions, able to guarantee transparency and accountability,” he said.

The Minister considers economic reforms to be the “other half” of the political process. Sudan’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of a National Economic Recovery Plan must be accompanied by active support from the international community, he insisted.

“The crisis in Sudan has gone on too long. Although much remains to be done, the direction taken by Sudan is promising,” he added. In conclusion, Bourita said that the hope for Sudan to regain stability is real.

Read Also: Mr. Bourita reaffirms Morocco’s support for the United Nations’ efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis.

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The Moroccan Kingdom has openly expressed its deep dismay towards the enlisted infractions issued in the report about the Moroccan Sahara following meeting number 984 of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union held on March 9^th, 2021.

Morocco has expressed its refusal of the issued report due to its controversial content and its politically oriented assumptions which have been manipulated in form and content. This is considered a dangerous precedent threatening the future of the African Union.

Rabat has pointed out that the report includes dangerous infractions in its false content the reason why it is considered null and void. Morocco has expressed its total refusal of considering this report a formal document of the African Union especially in the light of holding the summit conference out of schedule which was brought to attention by seven member countries. This only proves the hidden political goals to serve specific agendas in total negligence of the AU’s laws, procedures and regulations.

The summit was scheduled for March 25^th; however, it was held on March 9^th. A change that was implemented right after the new leadership commission had been put on without being involved in the preparations of the summit.

Morocco considers the summit’s agenda (follow up of the implementation of paragraph 15 of the special session 14 of the African Union about Silencing the Guns) had undergone selection (revising one paragraph of the report from a total of 19 paragraphs). Moreover, the Commissioner for Peace hadn’t complied by the established procedures. In fact, the president of the PSC and the member countries have the right to schedule the Summit’s Agenda and not the commissioner. An infraction that the president of AU commission had objected to during the summit conference being the supervisor of respecting the council’s regulations and procedures.

Taking the following into consideration, Morocco stressed that the revision of the afore mentioned paragraph in the summit’s agenda puts doubt in report 693’s validity on which the Troika was based. This latter had decided exclusively to study the issue and file a report to the conference or if necessary, to the PSC on the level of countries’ presidents. This report is the result of long negotiations with all the concerned parties.

It’s worth noting that paragraph 15 of the agenda of special session 14 of the AU about Silencing the Guns has witnessed a huge infraction on the part of the editorial board which couldn’t verify the accuracy of the president’s conclusions (due to a mistake in recording) which were imposed in spite of the objection of the seven member countries to the editorial board.

Morocco has asked the committee to take full legal responsibilities and abide by the union’s regulations and procedures in order to ensure respect of existing standards and preserve the council’s credibility and the validity of the intergovernmental process.

Morocco has brought to the attention of both the commission and the Kenyan presidency the risks behind these maneuvers which essentially target the partition of Africa through applying pressure again on the commission which has been victim to previously.

Morocco has clarified that in fact, while member countries, according to the council’s regulations and procedures, expect the council’s meeting to present the draft statement after the silent treatment that the majority of the council members have adopted, instead, the Guinean presidency chose to bypass its mandate and issue a unilateral statement which undermine the credibility of the only existing decision-making permanent body in the African Union.

However, while the African Union which is supposed to avoid the fait accompli policies and maneuvers, and free the African Organization from the narrow agendas, is in fact being the subject of sabotage by different parties which adopt practices that hinder the progress toward the wanted Africa.

Morocco reiterated its continuous commitment in continuing its constructive contribution in the common African work and its care that due rigor must be followed in dealing with the African Union’s regulations and procedures in order to preserve the credibility of the intergovernmental process.

It is worth noting that the member countries of the African Union, among which is Morocco, have delegated during the 31^st summit of the union held on July 1^st, 2^nd, 2018 in Nouakchott, Mauritania (report 693) concerning the territorial dispute over the Moroccan Sahara to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United Nations under the supervision of the Security Council and the patronage of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in order to find a realistic, political, pragmatic, and sustainable solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue. The report has also stressed on creating the Tripartite Commission Mechanism (Toika) part of the African Union which includes the past, future and periodic presidents, the president of the AU committee, and aims to present effective support to the efforts under the supervision of the United Nations.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, confirmed yesterday, Friday in Rabat, that Morocco is not interested by the report issued after the meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (PSC), held on March 9th, on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.

Bourita explained during a press conference after talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Guineans abroad, Ibrahim Khalil Kaba, that the matter is related to an “insignificant event” for Morocco, which is still persistent within the African Union within the framework of Resolution 693 of the Union.

The minister said, “This communication is the result of maneuvers and breaches marred the approval rule,” recalling in this context that the meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union took place on the 9th of March, while this document was issued on the 19th of the same month.

He emphasized that “during these ten days, the majority of the Council expressed its rejection of the Council’s conclusions in writing. It seems that the fait accompli has been imposed and the text has been amended.”

He pointed out that this meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union was marred by several violations in the first place and raised many question marks regarding its context, objectives and hidden motives, highlighting that the discussions showed that the African continent adopts a clear position; It is to support the efforts of the United Nations to find a solution to the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.

Bourita seized this opportunity to remind that the file of the Moroccan Sahara is before the United Nations, and that only the Tripartite Commission is empowered to pursue the issue of the Sahara.

The minister did not fail to emphasize Morocco’s satisfaction with the fact that the majority of the members of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as well as the African Union Commission, are loyal to the legitimacy and legality, by defending during the Council’s summit on March 9th the validity and relevance of Resolution 693 of the African Union, as it is the only African Union framework for tracking the Sahara issue.

The minister added that the solution should reflect the national position of two-thirds of African countries that do not recognize the fictitious entity of the “Polisario” separatists, noting that the majority of countries on the continent support the Moroccan Sahara. “Therefore, we consider the matter an insignificant event.”

It is noteworthy that Resolution 693, adopted at the African Summit held in July 2018 in Nouakchott, reaffirmed the exclusive jurisdiction of the United Nations as a framework for searching for a solution to the fabricated regional conflict over the Moroccan Sahara, with the establishment of the troika mechanism to support the efforts of the United Nations to find a settlement to this conflict .

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