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Rabat – Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush has informed Morocco’s government that her country is renouncing its membership bid for the African Union Peace and Security Council membership to support Morocco’s candidacy.
Mangoush made the declaration in a phone call with Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita on Sunday.
“Within the framework of the solid fraternal relations uniting the Kingdom of Morocco and the brother State of Libya, Ms. Mangoush informed her Moroccan counterpart that Libya has decided to withdraw its candidacy to sit on the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for the 2022-2025 mandate, to renounce it in favor of the Kingdom of Morocco and to support the Moroccan candidacy,” a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.
Mangoush emphasized that Libya’s decision will be formally communicated to the AU Commission.
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the African Union’s main body tasked with promoting and preserving peace, security, and stability across Africa.
Morocco’s membership of the African Union’s PSC will allow the country to thwart the body’s pro-Polisario wing’s attempts to undermine the Moroccan position on the Western Sahara question and other matters of regional and continental stability.
The current members of the PSC include: Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cemron, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Senegal.
Morocco’s role in the Libyan dialogue
During the phone call with Libya’s chief diplomat, Bourita renewed Morocco’s determination to continue to support inter-Libyan efforts to hold elections in a comprehensive, participatory, and pragmatic framework. The elections are expected to take place on December 24.
Morocco also vowed to continue to contribute to all efforts seeking to broker a sustainable solution to the decade-old Libyan crisis and promote peace, stability, and development in the country.
The Moroccan FM also congratulated Libya’s UN-appointed government of national unity, led by Abdelhamid Debaibah, for the “wisdom it has shown since taking office.”
The phone conversation also served as an opportunity for the two ministers to consult and coordinate on regional and international issues and also to discuss means to further consolidate their countries’ strong bilateral ties.
All the parties in the Libyan conflict have been lauding Morocco’s mediation efforts and its role in laying the groundwork for the political agreement that paved the way for the current UN-led political transition in Libya.
Morocco has in the past few months hosted several inter-Libyan talks, convening the main parties to the Libyan conflict on various occasions in Bouznika, Tangier, and Skhirat to discuss a political solution to the crisis.
Earlier this month at the Paris conference, Morocco shared its approach on Libya, saying that its ultimate goal is to provide a space where all conflicting Libyan parties can agree to save their country for another period of socio-economic chaos and political uncertainty.
One of the major challenges in the Libyan crisis is the withdrawal of foreign troops, Bourita said at the Paris conference while presenting Morocco’s approach on the Libyan question.
Libyan officials have frequently expressed gratitude to Morocco for its commitment to resolving the Libyan crisis.
Recently, the chairman of Libya High Council of State, Khalid al Mishri, thanked Morocco for its support and described the country as playing an essential role in facilitating the UN-led political process for a lasting solution to the Libyan conflict.
