Rabat – King Mohammed VI sent Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita to Mali on Tuesday to meet the country’s new leaders.
Mali’s recently-appointed transitional president, Ba N’Daou, received the Moroccan official in Bamako.
Bourita also met with the transitional Vice-President, Colonel Assimi Goita, and the transitional Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane.
The Moroccan foreign minister then held talks with Malian dignitaries, namely Bouye Haidara and Imam Mahmoud Dicko, according to Morocco’s state media.
The Malian officials each expressed their appreciation for King Mohammed VI’s concern for Mali and its people, the source added.
The North African country has adopted an active role in promoting the stability of Mali as it recovers from last month’s bloodless coup. Mali’s military overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on August 18.
Morocco recently joined a high-level delegation within the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), responsible for supporting Mali’s civil transition process. Morocco’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Moha Ouali Tagma, represents the country in the delegation.
Last week, Mali’s transitional military government appointed former Defense Minister Ba N’Daou as the new interim president, in line with the junta’s promise to not hold onto power. Colonel Assimi Goita, one of the coup leaders, assumed the transitional government’s vice presidency.
Goita stepped in as Mali’s temporary leader after the coup, and Morocco was the first country to diplomatically engage with the new leadership. Goita received Morocco’s Ambassador to Mali, Hassan Naciri, on August 26.
During the meeting, Goita expressed his “deep gratitude” for King Mohammed VI and Morocco’s crisis resolution efforts, “welcoming the centuries-old relations and the fruitful partnership that bind the two brotherly countries.”
When the coup broke out, Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for a “peaceful civil transition, allowing a rapid and supervised return to constitutional order.”
The statement added that Morocco has full confidence that its “Malian brothers” will “draw on values of peace and national harmony” after the coup, emphasizing its commitment to the “serenity and stability of Mali.”
Morocco and Mali maintain a close partnership, particularly on issues of regional security and migration. As part of the Sahel, Mali’s stability is essential in efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism and extremism in the region.
