Morocco’s King New African Tour to boost Inter-Africa Partnership
King Mohammed VI of Morocco starts this Wednesday a new African tour that will lead the Sovereign and his accompanying delegation to Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gabon and the republic of Guinea Bissau.
During this new trip, the King will meet the Heads of States and top officials of these African countries. He will also preside over the signing of several bilateral cooperation agreements and the launching of landmark joint projects, showing the strong partnership ties that are gaining momentum between the North African Kingdom and its brethren African countries.
During the past few years, the Moroccan Sovereign paid several visits to Western and Central Africa, a move which helped to spur Moroccan-African trade exchanges, investments, economic partnership and cooperation in various sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, vocational training, banking, mining, human development…
According to some analysts, these visits show clearly Morocco’s unwavering determination to bolster ties with sub-Saharan countries facing major development challenges amid regional and international economic and political turmoil.
Last year, while all big Western and international airline companies have pulled out of Africa and suspended flights to Ebola-stricken regions of West Africa, Moroccan flag-carrier “Royal Air Maroc” stayed put and maintained the service despite the serious risks.
The Moroccan flights provided a lifeline to the Ebola-stricken zone, transporting medical teams, equipments and medicine for the infected persons. Such a move, which reflects Morocco’s sound commitment and solidarity with African countries, was highly appreciated by African countries.
Despite its limited resources, Morocco supports African causes and sends whenever necessary humanitarian assistance to African countries. The North African nation also helps a number of sub-Saharan countries fight terror radical Islamists through the training of imams who lead prayers in mosques, preaching a tolerant and non-violent form of Islam based on Maliki rites.
After the success of its Imams training program following an overhaul of the religious field, Morocco has built an education centre dedicated to the training of foreign Muslim scholars and imams according to the precepts of an Islam of tolerance and dialogue, respecting other faiths.
The Moroccan King new tour will start in Senegal, a country very close to Moroccans due to historic and religious ties, before heading to Côte d’Ivoire, which hosts an important Moroccan community with trade exchanges thriving.
In Gabon, the Moroccan Sovereign and President Ali Bongo, who build on the legacy of their fathers, late King Hassan II and late president Omar Bongo, will consolidate further the strategic cooperation ties set out between the two countries, meeting the expectations of Moroccan and Gabonese peoples.
In Guinea Bissau, last leg of the royal tour, the leaders of the two countries will look into ways of fostering partnership in various sectors such as fishing, gas, oil, phosphate, agriculture…
Morocco, which has placed Africa at the top of its priorities, looks southward to build a “win-win” partnership with African countries sitting on huge untapped resources which could fuel the world economy.
