Moroccan King Mohammed VI with President Paul Kagame in Kigali, Rwanda
on October 19, 2016. King Mohammed VI kicked off his East African tour
in Rwanda and is set to take in Tanzania and Ethiopia. PHOTO | URUGWIRO
VILLAGE
By ALLAN OLINGO
In Summary
- The countries recent economic agreements with Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia ranging from economy, gas, railways, banking, manufacturing and minerals as it seeks a share of the regions budding extractives industries but hidden within is its diplomatic manoeuvers as it seeks to exploit the ongoing African Union leadership contest for its own historical gain.
- Morocco has been wooing African states in its bid to rejoin the African Union after it pulled out of the then the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1984 over the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as a full member of the body. Then Morocco protested that Sahrawi was part of its monarch.
The bid to diversify its investments, diplomatic outreach
and the region’s fledging extractives and infrastructure projects has
seen Morocco out on a diplomatic charm in East Africa, after a similar
move in West Africa paid off with vast economic investments.
The countries recent economic agreements with Rwanda, Tanzania
and Ethiopia ranging from economy, gas, railways, banking, manufacturing
and minerals as it seeks a share of the regions budding extractives
industries but hidden within is its diplomatic manoeuvers as it seeks to
exploit the ongoing African Union leadership contest for its own
historical gain.
Morocco King Mohammed VI was in Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia as
part of the country’s efforts to build diplomatic relation with the
region and seek support for its readmission to the African Union (AU).
Morocco has been wooing African states in its bid to rejoin the
African Union after it pulled out of the then the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU) in 1984 over the admission of the Sahrawi Arab
Democratic Republic (SADR) as a full member of the body. Then Morocco
protested that Sahrawi was part of its monarch.
Mid this year, Morocco sought for its readmission to the African
union (AU) after its three decade hiatus over the Western Sahara
controversy.
Interestingly, the Morocco’s leader’s itinerary didn’t include
Kenya, yet early this year, Rabat had said that it considered Kenya a
neutral negotiator that would push for its readmission into the AU.
Morocco special envoy Taieb Fassi Fihri said they considered
Kenya as an honest and neutral broker who can partner with his country
in achieving peace.
“All we want is our membership to be reinstated without
pre-conditions. We want to be part and parcel of the African Union as we
want to work for all people,” Mr Firhi said. Peter Fabricius, a
consultant with the Institute of Security Studies say that Morocco push
right now could be well timed because of M Dlamini Zuma’s exit, a figure
Rabat has seen as an opponent in its move to have SADR membership at
the AU suspended.
“The AU Constitutive Act does not have any provision for the
expulsion of any Member State of the Union. The act itself can however
be changed by two-thirds majority and this is Morocco’s game plan. It is
the reason for this support seeking visit by Rabat,” Mr Fabricius said
adding that with SADR out of the AU body, then its much sought
referendum will be in doubt too, something Morocco has always wanted.
Morocco considers Western Sahara an important part of the
kingdom while the Saharawi people want a referendum on independence.
Outside of the AU agenda, the country is also keen on pushing its
geopolitical supremacy battle with Algeria a notch higher as it tries to
grow its economic influence outside of West Africa.
The two countries have been at loggerheads since Algeria decided
to offer refuge to the Western Saharans’ national liberation
movement. At the recent AU summit in Kigali, Algeria rejected any
attempt to suspend SADR’s membership, a move that irked Rabat.
In Tanzania, Morocco signed an agreement to construct the Mtwara
to Mbamba bay railway network that would link the coal and iron ore
projects in Mchuchuma and Liganga.
The two countries also saw a code share agreement reached
between Air Tanzania and Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc that will see direct
flights between the two countries actualised.
Additional reporting by Beatrice Materu.
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