Intra-African solidarity, Morocco matches words with actions

Morocco has started a campaign to airlift medical aid to help 15 African countries counter the coronavirus outbreak in a new expression of intra-African solidarity, which Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, has championed through rhetoric and actions.

The medical aid has already reached many countries in a list of brotherly nations including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, Chad and Zambia.

The medical aid consists of nearly 8 million facemasks, 900,000 face shields, 600,000 hygiene caps, 60,000 protective clothing and 30,000 liters of sanitizers in addition to 75,000 packs of chloroquine and 15,000 packs of Azithromycin.

The Moroccan-made medicine and anti-Covid equipment is being air lifted by Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc following orders from the Moroccan king.

Morocco could build on the genius of its industry, which managed to meet the needs of the country in terms of sanitizers, masks, ventilators and protective gear.

The humanitarian gesture is the first of its kind by an African country and confirms Morocco’s standing and leadership in addressing the continent’s pressing issues.

Morocco, long before its return to the African Union, has campaigned for African causes and carried the voice of the continent in international forums.

The Kingdom has for long built its diplomatic action in Africa on the notion of south-south cooperation and co-development rolling out win-win investments across the continent in fields such as agricultural development, health and education.

The Monarch, who was named African migration leader, has endeavored in favor of a humanitarian approach towards migration and defended African perspective on migration at the UN migration summit in Marrakech.

At home, Morocco was the first in Africa to launch a migration regularization campaign benefiting more than 50,000 African nationals in the first place giving them access to social services and the job market.

Africa’s environmental concerns were also defended by Morocco at the UN climate summit in Marrakech in 2016.

The Kingdom has also contributed actively in multilateral efforts to restore peace and stability in a number of African countries including the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“For Morocco, Africa means more than just being part of a geographical area, or having historical bonds with the continent. Africa also means sincere affection, appreciation, close human and spiritual relations as well as tangible solidarity. Furthermore, Africa is the natural extension of Morocco and the embodiment of the country’s strategic depth. This multi-dimensional relationship puts Morocco in the center of Africa; it also means Africa holds a special place in Moroccans’ hearts. For this reason, Africa has been given top priority in Morocco’s foreign policy,” King Mohamed VI said in a speech in August 2016.