Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Omar Hilale, paid a visit to the Central African Republic, where he met with officers from the Moroccan contingent stationed in the country.
Hilale, who was accompanied by a high-level UN delegation during the meeting, paid a heartfelt tribute to the exemplary commitment of these officers, and emphasized that their presence on the ground in the Central African Republic serves as a true reflection of the humanist and Pan-African vision of King Mohammed VI. As such, the Moroccan soldiers serving with MINUSCA act as living ambassadors of this royal vision on the ground, he noted.
The diplomat also took the opportunity to honor the memory of the Moroccan peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving under the United Nations flag in the pursuit of peace on Central African soil.
Hilale also highlighted that Morocco’s engagement in the Central African Republic is rooted in a tradition of African solidarity championed at the highest levels of the Kingdom. He noted that, under the King’s leadership, Morocco has made peacekeeping on the continent a cornerstone of its foreign policy, mobilizing its men and women, its resources, and its diplomatic influence in the service of nations striving for stability.
This meeting took place within the framework of Hilale’s visit to CAR, leading a UN delegation comprising the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, the Vice-Chairs of the UN Peacebuilding Commission -Bangladesh and Germany Permanent Representatives- as well as the Deputy Permanent Representatives of France and Colombia in New York, acting in their capacity as members of the Commission.
For their part, the diplomats accompanying Hilale expressed their profound admiration for the dedication, selflessness, and courage demonstrated by the Moroccan officers serving in the CAR. These tributes served as a reminder that the Moroccan contingent stands as one of the solid pillars of MINUSCA, working daily to ensure the security of the population, the protection of civilians, and the extension of State authority -thereby contributing to a return to normalcy in the country. This contribution is unanimously recognized and highly appreciated, even at the highest levels of the United Nations.
During the meeting, the officers of the Moroccan contingent in Bangui entrusted Omar Hilale with conveying to King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, their deepest expressions of loyalty, pride, and devotion. They reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to defending, at the risk of their own lives, the values of peace and dignity, convinced that the efforts they are undertaking on Central African soil honor the Kingdom and serve the universal cause of peace.
