Casablanca – Christophe Lutundula Apala, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, expressed his country’s continued support for the Sahara autonomy proposal, on Thursday in Marrakech.
In a joint statement issued following his talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita Apala reiterated the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s support for the Sahara autonomy scheme within the framework of Morocco’s territorial integrity.
The meeting between the two officials came on the sidelines of the International Coalition against ISIS’s ministerial meeting.
He underlined his country’s support for finding a lasting solution to the Sahara dispute by safeguarding Morocco’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and unity.
In the same context, Apala applauded Morocco’s commitment to Congolese authorities and the international community’s efforts to promote peace, democracy, security, and development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bourita, speaking on behalf of Morocco, welcomed the Congo’s unwavering support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
He also applauded the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s standing as a subregional actor committed to security and combating terrorism and armed groups.
Bourita, on the other hand, welcomed Congo’s membership in the East African Group, urging the African Union and the United Nations to support its efforts by actively participating in the rapid implementation of the peace plan.
The Moroccan diplomat also reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to assisting the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its development efforts, particularly in sectors with a significant local socioeconomic effect, such as agriculture, health, water, energy, and renewable energies.
The two ministers decided to form joint sectoral committees to carry out actual initiatives and action plans in the targeted industries with the aim of expanding relations of collaboration and economic partnership between the two fraternal countries.
The two ministers finally emphasized the importance of improving communication and coordination across various multilateral platforms in order to make their diplomatic actions more consistent with the official positions taken by the two countries on a variety of issues of mutual interest.
