The Moroccan diplomat also presented his predictions for the future of Africa and Morocco after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rabat – King Mohammed VI never ceases to reaffirm his “unwavering commitment to genuine African solidarity and the building of a future of peace, prosperity and security for the continent,” said Youssef Amrani, Moroccan Ambassador to South Africa.
“True African solidarity must emerge and ambitions of unity and resilience must be at the forefront of a continental agenda driven by real leadership and animated by a common vision and a decidedly progressive concerted strategy,” Amrani wrote in an article published on Spanish news outlet El Pais.
The article, titled “The Moroccan commitment to Africa” and published on June 12, discussed King Mohammed VI’s pan-African vision and Morocco’s efforts to promote solidarity in a South-South cooperative spirit.
“Solidarity is fundamental,” the Moroccan diplomat wrote, arguing King Mohammed VI’s recent call to create a joint African task force to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the continent is “part of a spirit of unity and in continuation of the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to the continent.”
For Amrani, the unprecedented health crisis can either be a scourge or a blessing for Africa: “A scourge, if Africa returns to its status quo, or a blessing if it turns the pandemic into a new opportunity thanks to a substantial review of its policies and modi operandi.”
To mitigate the impact of COVID-19, African states will not only have to mobilize the necessary resources for limiting the number of victims, but also for managing the crisis and its medical, economic, financial, and social dimensions, Amrani said.
“The challenge for African countries is very real, and the continent’s ability to take control of its own destiny is a priority,” he added.
Getting back to the focal point of the article, Amrani illustrated how King Mohammed VI’s “vision, leadership, and commitment” led Morocco to “spare no effort to protect its people.”
“The generalized solidarity that we see today in the Moroccan society is an eloquent example of the deep and undeniable humanism which animates the heart and the spirit of our compatriots,” he continued.
Faced with the pandemic, Morocco, “in all its diversity, acted as a single person,” the Moroccan diplomat said, qualifying human solidarity as “the best vaccine available during these difficult times.”
Amrani predicted that the COVID-19 crisis will have consequences not only on the economy, but also on states and societies. The crisis can be transformative, he argued, as long as societies overcome their fear, uncertainty, and anxiety.
Presenting his forecasts for the post-pandemic Morocco, Amrani explained that the country has all “the ingredients to surf the [COVID-19] wave,” citing its “privileged status with Europe,” its “very deep African roots,” and its “very pronounced international legitimacy.”
The diplomat predicted new niches to emerge in the Moroccan market on which the country should capitalize.
“The windows of opportunity should be seized to establish the interests of the country, strengthen our economy, and meet the aspirations of our society and its youth,” he concluded.
