2023-09-25 13:00:00
DIPLOMACY – Monday September 11, a few days after the earthquake, Morocco accepted the offer of assistance from four friendly nations, namely Spain, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. However, despite being one of the first countries to offer aid, France is conspicuous by its absence from this list.
Diplomatic relations between Morocco and France are experiencing persistent tensions. In addition to the disagreements concerning the question of Western Sahara, where Morocco feels little supported by France, and the problem of visa refusals for Moroccan citizens, there is a feeling of embarrassment following the decision of the recently disaster-stricken country. by an earthquake, not to request assistance for relief and emergency operations.
The rejection of the assistance offered by the French State
Morocco affirms its desire to maintain control of its own crisis management. The country aspires not to find itself simply subject to the authority of a State or an international non-governmental organization. Including when it comes to deciding the type of intervention to put in place, and the possible tensions that may result.
This is a form of diplomacy in the humanitarian field which does not seek assistance from a State which has means in this area, but which wishes to maintain a certain independence. Thus, although the French state offered assistance, Morocco, exercising its sovereign right to make its own decision, did not consider it necessary to seek assistance from France.
The King of Morocco motivated this decision by emphasizing the importance of useful and necessary assistance, thus excluding an overabundance of aid which could have disrupted the effective coordination of the teams operating on the ground. On the other hand, the Moroccan kingdom chose to receive humanitarian aid offered by French associations and Moroccan organizations established in various regions of Europe, which also caused some astonishment in France.
Diplomatic cooling
The decline in relations between President Macron and King Mohammed VI is increasingly pronounced. After recalling its ambassador in February 2023, Morocco has not designated a replacement, and several state visits have been postponed.
Remember that at the end of February, the French president was forced to accept this brutal and undiplomatic disavowal. “Personal relations are friendly and will remain so”, however declared Emmanuel Macron, during a press conference, referring to the King of Morocco Mohammed VI. The Moroccan response was immediate. In the weekly Young Africaan official Moroccan source scathingly denied: “Relations are neither friendly nor good, neither between the two governments, nor between the Palais-Royal and the Élysée.”
Another symptom of the distance between France and Morocco lies in the decision of King Mohammed VI to definitively postpone a meeting that had already been previously postponed with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
Moroccan authorities stressed that a possible visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the country was not “not on the agenda”contradicting recent statements by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who claimed that Paris had “received an invitation” de Mohamed VI.
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