Guinea-Bissau Opens Consulate General in Morocco’s Dakhla

Rabat – Guinea Bissau opened on Friday a consulate general in Dakhla, southern Morocco.

Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and Guinea Bissau’s FM Carla Barbosa chaired the inauguration ceremony.

The opening of the diplomatic representation in Dakhla is the sixth of its kind in the city and the second today. Earlier, Burkina Faso also opened its consulate general in Dakhla.

Both counties support Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity over Western Sahara.

The opening of Guinea Bissau’s representation comes after Rabat and Bissau signed four agreements related to industry, energy, tourism, transport, and logistics.

Bourita and Barbosa signed the agreements in Rabat on Wednesday.

Morocco’s FM said the signing reflects the two countries’ commitment to economic cooperation.

“We have seen a total convergence of views,” Bourita said at a press conference after the inauguration ceremony.

He said that the meeting with his Guinean counterpart reinforced the “deep friendship” between the two countries.

Barbosa also said that her country is keen to strengthen ties with Morocco.

The signing also followed the opening of the Moroccan embassy in Bissau on Monday.

In addition to Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau’s diplomatic representations, Dakhla also hosts the consulates of Gambia, Guinea, Djibouti, and Liberia. The three African countries opened their representations in the southern city earlier this year.

Several other countries also opened consulates in Laayoune. These include Djibouti, Cote d’Ivoire, Burundi, Sao Tome and Principe, and the Central African Republic.

Morocco’s government, which perceives the diplomatic openings as a validation of its Western Sahara position, has vowed that more countries will open consulates in the southern provinces in the coming months.