By David Hazelwood
Rabat – Americans stand strong for Morocco, hail Morocco’s human rights achievements, highlight shared values and a strong Alliance.
Yesterday, Americans stood strong with Moroccans, as they have for decades, to commend Morocco on its progressive advancements on human rights by writing a letter to President Barack Obama.
In the letter, sent on Thursday, a group of 16 Members of U.S. Congress recognized Morocco as America’s “strongest and oldest friend in a very important part of the world,” and urged “greater visibility” for Morocco’s role in promoting development in the region, as well as the country’s progress on human rights.
The letter comes shortly after Morocco expressed concerns last month that the US State Department’s April 2016 human rights report on the country contained “factual errors and misrepresented Morocco’s efforts in that area.”
In the letter, Congress noted that “Morocco is the only country in the region to have established with the United States an on-going dialogue on human rights that is intended to be an open forum for objective and constructive engagement on these issues…We commend this process and would hope that it brings a positive contribution.”
“We are concerned that recent developments in our strategically important alliance with Morocco need to be made a higher priority and that our support for Morocco’s signal achievements, including on human rights, and the important role it is playing to enhance stability and development in the region, needs to be given much greater visibility in our public statements about this critical bilateral relationship with one of our oldest and most trusted partners.”
Analysts say despite the current friction as a result of the US Department human rights report on Morocco and Washington lack of support to Rabat on the Western Sahara, the mutually beneficial friendship between the US and Morocco remains strong and vibrant.
