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Rabat – After a five-year standoff, The Islamic Republic of Mauritania appointed Mohamed Lemine Ould Aboyeas its new ambassador to Morocco on Wednesday, reported Mauritania Information Agency.
The newly appointed diplomat who previously served as Hydraulics and Sanitation Minister Hydraulics and Sanitation and Mauritania‘s ambassador to Niger and Senegal, will take up his new post. He holds a PhD in Hydrogeochemistry and Environment from ENS Rabat.
After a five-year period of cold diplomatic relations, Ould Aboye will be the first ambassador to Morocco after the departure of former ambassador to Rabat, Mohamed Ould Mouaouia in 2012. after the departure of which has remained vacant since 2012 after the departure of former ambassador to Rabat, Mohamed Ould Mouaouia.
This appointment comes about two months after the appointment accreditation of the new Moroccan ambassador to Nouakchott, Hamid Chabar.
Chabar succeeded the late Ambassador Abderrahmane Benomar, who died in December 2016, after he had served in the office for 15 years.
He was appointed to succeed the late Ambassador Abderrahmane Benomar, who died in December 2016 after he served in the office for 15 years.
Shaky Grounds
Ould Aboye and Chabar’s appointments come at a time when both countries seem to be willing to resolve the long-standing diplomatic tensions over sensitive issues such as the Western Sahara.
Several media reports claimed that Chabar’s appointment was not well received by Mauritania, which allegedly wanted him to be replaced by another ambassador.
In September, however, Mauritania officially denied the rumors that it rejected the Moroccan diplomat as an ambassador to the country.
Some believed at the time that the motive behind President Abdel Aziz’s displeasure at the appointment was due to Morocco hosting Mauritanian the businessman Mohamed Ould Bouamatou, one of his opponents, and who is a subject of an international search warrant issued by Mauritanian authorities since September 1, 2017.
According to the Mauritanian news outlet, media Alakhbar.info, the delay in appointing a new ambassador to Rabat “was mainly due to the presence of the businessman on the Moroccan territory, according to the Mauritanian news outlet, media Alakhbar.info, .
Bouamatou’s presence on Moroccan soil had been considered one of the main reasons that relations between Rabat and Nouakchott were tumultuous, in addition to what Morocco sees as a rapprochement between Mauritania and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
In October, rumors of Bouamatou’s expulsion from Morocco made the headlines of media outlets in Morocco and Mauritania. Many media outlets reported that Rabat had expelled the Bouamatou to improve relations with Mauritania, a move that has seemingly eased tension between the two countries.
