Moroccan Ambassador Calls for Kenyan Support in Western Sahara Conflict

Rabat – Morocco’s ambassador to Kenya, El Mokhtar Ghambou, has called on Nairobi to support the autonomy plan presented by Morocco to find a solution to the Western Sahara conflict. 

“I call on the Kenyan government, which currently sits in the Security Council as a non-permanent member, to support our autonomy plan for the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty,” the Moroccan diplomat said this weekend, in an appearance on Kenyan Television program “My Story” on KTN channel.

Airing every weekend, “My Story” is a popular political program in Kenya, especially among Kenyan decision makers, ministers, political party leaders, governors, and parliamentarians. 

The Moroccan ambassador is the first foreign diplomat to be a guest on the show.

During this weekend’s program, Ghambou stressed that the Moroccan autonomy plan, presented in 2007 to the UN, offers a “practical” and “realistic” solution to the regional dispute of the Moroccan Sahara. He also spoke of the importance of taking seriously the problem of separatism in Africa, pointing out that separatist movements are present in at least 23 African countries.

“Asking Kenya to change its position on the Sahara is not an exaggerated request because Kenya has always defended the territorial integrity of African countries,” argued the Moroccan diplomat.

Read also: Western Sahara: Kenya’s Evolving Position Displays Internal Divide 

Ghambou welcomed the decision of the Kenyan government to consider the possibility of opening a residential embassy in Rabat in the coming months, stressing that the win-win aspect of Moroccan-Kenyan cooperation is justified by the complementarity of the two countries’ economies.

Recalling that the Moroccan presence in Kenya dates back to the 14th century, the Moroccan diplomat noted that Kenyan history also retains the deep friendship between the father of the Kenyan nation, Jomo Kenyatta, and the late King Hassan II.

“We are creating a foundation named Ibn Battouta (Ibn Battouta Africa Foundation) to revive economic and cultural cooperation between our two nations,” he said.

Regarding the economic cooperation between the two african countries, the ambassador said that the Moroccan private sector is considering many investments in Kenya, especially in the fields of tourism, finance, and insurance.

He also pointed to Morocco’s growing economic presence across Africa, suggesting that the North African country’s human-centered and pan-Africanism-driven approach to the continent is preferable to the investment policies of most European or Western countries.  

The diplomat’s statements are in concordance with the South-South approach and African focus Morocco has adopted in the past five years. Morocco has shifted its focus to strengthening South-South cooperation. 

As the North African country shifted its focus on strengthening South-South cooperation and further intra-Afrian integration, its economic involvement in Africa has sharply grown in scope and significance. Morocco is currently the first African investor in the continent, with over 1000 economic agreements signed with its growing base of African partners.

Kenya has historically been a Polisario ally, and has reiterated its support to the seperatist movement on multiple occasions. In March of this year, the East Afrian country played a key role in the adoption of a pro-Polisario resolution by members of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. 

But there are signs that Kenya’s position on Western Sahara is likely to evolve to be in sync with the decidedly pro-Morocco stance in most Afrian countries. There have been reports that “Kenya’s top leadership is divided” over which cause to embrace on the Western Sahara question. 

And with Morocco’s sustained political and economic overtures in continental geopolitics, most projections are that Rabat’s much-lauded leadership role in Africa’s policy circles is bound to gain the upper hand over the Algeria-led pro-Polisario camp. 

To mark Morocco’s Throne Day in 2018, 15 Kenyan parliamentarians announced in Nairobi the creation of a joint Moroccan-Kenyan parliamentary committee. The announcement was made during a reception organized by the Moroccan embassy in Nairobi to celebrate the 19th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne. 

According to Moroccan ambassador in Nairobi, this agreement is set “to take advantage of the willingness of the Kenyan government to open a new page in its relations with Morocco.” Meanwhile, Morocco’s contribution to continental efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis was positively received by a number of Kenyan policymakers. 

In February of this year, for instance, the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Omama Raychelle, described as “commendable” and “noble” King Mohammed VI’s initiative to assist several African countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. “This kind of initiative will certainly move Africa in the right direction and at all levels,” Raychelle said, stressing that the initiative represents a model of intra-African solidarity.