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Morocco never left Africa, even when it was no longer a member of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Morocco to Ghana, Madam Nezha Alaoui M’hammdi, stated on the occasion of the commemoration of the 17th anniversary of the accession to the Throne of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.  
 
“The country is an African nation and will always be, and all of us Moroccans shall remain at the service of Africa. We shall be at the forefront of actions to preserve the dignity of African citizens and ensure respect for our Continent,” the ambassador assured.

By returning to the African family, the ambassador said Morocco sought to keep up its commitment to Africa and strengthen its involvement in all matters it feels strongly about.

From within, Morocco will contribute to make the AU a more robust organisation; one that is both proud of its credibility and relieved of the trappings of an obsolete era.      

Madam M’hammdi stressed that the time of ideology was over and our people needed concrete and tangible actions. One can neither change geography, nor can one escape the burden of history.

“Morocco should not remain outside its African institutional family and should regain its natural and rightful place within the AU,” she noted.

She said cooperation, which is already intense with more than 40 African countries at the bilateral level, will be further expanded and revitalised. 

Moroccan know-how could, therefore be offered on an even broader scale and in a more streamlined framework.

This is particularly true, she noted, regarding issues relating to security and the fight against terrorism. 

The Moroccan expertise, which was widely recognised at the international level and sought by many countries, including European states, would be leveraged to promote security and stability in all African countries, particularly those in West and Central Africa, Ambassador M’hammdi stated.

The ambassador recalled the words of His Majesty King Hassan II in his message to the 20th OAU Summit on November 12, 1984 announcing Morocco’s withdrawal. She said those words by the late king proved prophetic and the conclusion today was obvious, as Morocco had kept its promise.

“Three decades later, Africa has never been so much at the heart of Morocco’s foreign policy and its international action as it is today,” she pointed out.

South-South cooperation

Madam M’hammdi announced at the function, also known as “The Feast of Throne”, that the Kingdom had forged a unique, authentic and tangible south-south cooperation model which had made it possible not only to consolidate cooperation in the traditional areas of training and technical assistance, but also to engage in new, strategic sectors such as food security and infrastructural development. 

She said, “This process will not be ending any time soon. And –like it or not-- it is irreversible.”