Diplomatic Rush in Sahara Continues with Coming Opening of Ivorian Consulate General in Laayoune

Côte d’Ivoire will shortly open a Consulate General in the Moroccan Southern city of Laayoune, announced on Wednesday spokesperson for the Ivorian government, Sidi Tiémoko Touré.

 

The decree establishing the consulate in Laayoune was adopted by the Council of ministers, convened Wednesday in Abidjan, the spokesperson announced at a press briefing.

 

“This measure aims to bring the consular administration closer to Ivorian nationals living in southern Morocco and to strengthen their consular protection,” he said.

 

This new Ivorian consular administration in Morocco will also consolidate the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, the spokesperson said.

 

Côte d’Ivoire was among the very first African countries to open an honorary consulate in Laâyoune in June 2019 to intensify the multidimensional relations between the two countries, as put then by Ivorian ambassador to Rabat Idrissa Traore.

 

The Moroccan Southern Provinces have regularly made the headlines lately as several countries have opened consular representations there, materializing thus their support to Morocco’s historic legitimacy over its Saharan provinces.

Laâyoune is hosting the Consulates General of the Comoros, which started its activities in December, of Gabon, of the Central African Republic, and of Sao Tome & Principe, while Gambia and Guinea chose Dakhla to set up their consulates.

 

Participants in a Moroccan-Egyptian Strategic Forum, held recently in Dakhla, welcomed these African countries’ decision to open consulates in the Moroccan southern provinces as another evidence of support for the moroccanness of the Sahara.