King Mohammed VI Building Sound Partnership with South Sudan

King Mohammed VI started Wednesday an official visit to South Sudan, first of its kind in this African country, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.

This historic visit, which reflects Morocco’s attachment to South-South cooperation based on solidarity, mutual respect and win-win partnership, was marked by private talks held in Juba between the Moroccan Sovereign and President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The two leaders chaired afterwards the signing ceremony of nine cooperation agreements covering housing, urbanism, foreign Affairs, investment, taxation, agriculture, fisheries, food security, industry, mining and business.

In a presentation before the two Heads of State, Moroccan Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad expressed the North African Kingdom’s readiness and commitment to help South Sudan build a new capital city.

Actually, ahead of the Sovereign’s visit, South Sudan asked to benefit from Morocco’s assistance and expertise to carry out the new administrative capital project. And of course, Morocco is responding to the call.

The project will cost nearly $10 billion and Morocco has agreed to pay $5.1 million for the technical and financial feasibility studies of this large-scale project, which offers huge business and job opportunities.

In a humanitarian gesture reflective of his care to bring a helping hand to the South Sudanese people, the sovereign will visit the Moroccan field hospital deployed in the South Sudanese capital last January. The facility provides medical services in pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, cardiology, traumatology, dentistry, ophthalmology, etc.

The King will also visit a local hospital center where he will donate medical equipment, medicines and food products destined to needy patients.

Before coming to Juba, King Mohammed VI was in Addis Ababa where he addressed the 28th African Union Summit after Morocco’s membership within the continental organization was endorsed by a sweeping majority of member countries.

In this speech, King Mohammed VI underlined Morocco’s unflinching commitment to the development of the continent and prosperity of African citizens, and its resolve to continue sharing and transferring its expertise and know-how, to contribute to building a safe, solidarity-based future for all across Africa.

Part of this new African tour, the King is expected to visit Ghana and Zambia.