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Casablanca — Morocco has expressed its disappointment in Kuwait for its lack of support in boycotting the 4th Africa-Arab Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea this week.
In a communiqué published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, November 25, Morocco thanked Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Yemen and Somalia “for their constant commitment to the rules governing Arab-African partnership, which they demonstrated during the preparations for the 4th Arab-African Summit held in Malabo.
Morocco expressed firm opposition to the Polisario delegation’s participation at the summit, and was met with support by various other African and Arab countries.
Kuwait, however, did not extend such support.
“The Kingdom of Morocco,” says the statement, “which has fruitful and strong relations with the brother state of Kuwait in various areas, regrets Kuwait’s position on this issue of principle when it has not imposed, in its capacity as Chairperson of the Arab Side, the respect for these rules which resulted in the maintenance of the emblem of an unrecognized puppet entity neither by the UN nor by the League of Arab States.”
Though Egypt also did not boycott the summit in solidarity with Morocco, the communiqué fails to address President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The Africa-Arab summit will undoubtedly suffer from the boycott of the Gulf countries, many of which had intended to invest millions in Africa by 2018.
In terms of how the boycott will impact Morocco’s re-entry into the African Union, the Ministry’s statement implies that the nation does not see the boycott as an obstacle.
“Through its return to the African Union,” says the statement, “and within the framework of respecting its national constants, Morocco intends to confirm its will to defend just causes and mobilize the African family around the real challenges related to the dignity, security and living conditions of African citizens.”
