Rabat – Gabon has opened its general consulate in Morocco’s southern region of Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara, on January 17.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and his Gabonese counterpart, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, co-chaired the inauguration ceremony.
The decision to open the general consulate in Laayoune signals Gabon’s firm support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Gabon and Morocco share strong diplomatic relations marked by regular diplomatic visits with high-level officials from both countries.
In 2017, Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba shared a picture of him and King Mohammed VI as teenagers, demonstrating the long-standing friendship between them.
In late October 2018, Bongo suffered a stroke in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He spent nearly a month at the King Faisal Hospital in the Saudi capital.
King Mohammed VI, however, asked Bongo’s family to bring the Gabonese president to Morocco to finish his recovery.
4th diplomatic achievement
Gabon’s general consulate is the fourth diplomatic representation inaugurated in Western Sahara.
Cote d’Ivoire opened an honorary consulate in June of 2019Comoros opened its general consulate in December 2019. Both consulates are in Laayoune.
Gambia and Guinea both opened their general consulates in Dakhla in January 2020.
Read Also: Guinea Opens General Consulate in Morocco’s Dakhla
Each of the aforementioned countries maintain steadfast support for Morocco’s position in the Western Sahara conflict.
Morocco sees the decision of the African nations to open missions in its southern provinces as diplomatic achievements.
The presence of consulates in the southern provinces also strengthen the country’s mission to make the region and Morocco the gateway to Africa.
