Sierra Leone inaugurates embassy in Rabat Friday, before Consulate General in Dakhla Monday

Sierra Leone has inaugurated its embassy in Morocco during a ceremony on Friday in Rabat that was chaired by Foreign Minister David Francis and Moroccan Junior FM Mohcine Jazouli.

 

Speaking at a joint press briefing with Jazouli, the Sierra Leonean official said the opening of this diplomatic representation is “a superb demonstration of our commitment and our long-standing partnership.”

 

This diplomatic representation will further consolidate the already “very strong” bilateral relations and help promote the African partnership, underlined David Francis, who expressed thanks to Morocco for its “huge support” to Sierra Leone in different areas, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“Morocco has always been with us to give us its support” during this global health crisis, he said, welcoming the cooperation roadmap he signed Thursday with his Moroccan peer.

 

The roadmap provides for strengthening cooperation between the two countries in several areas, including education and training; technical cooperation; economic promotion and investments; as well as cooperation in the field of security.

 

The Foreign Minister also highlighted the economic development witnessed by Morocco; noting that “in the 90s, Morocco’s economy was primarily based on agriculture and tourism. Today, it is based mainly on the automotive industry and aeronautics.”

 

For his part, Jazouli welcomed the opening of this embassy which reflects “the strong links, as well as the relations of friendship, solidarity and fraternity between the two countries”.

 

He noted that the opening next Monday of the Consulate General of Sierra Leone in Dakhla “marks the support of this African country for the Moroccanness of the Sahara and testifies to its support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom”.

 

For Sierra Leone, “the Sahara is a territory under the sovereignty of Morocco,” David Francis had said Thursday following a meeting with his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita, noting that the opening of a consular representation in Dakhla translates the distinguished relations binding the two countries.

 

Sierra Leone’s consulate will be the 25th consular representation to open in the Moroccan Sahara cities of Dakhla and Laayoune, moves that translate these countries’ support to Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara provinces.