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Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Yassine Mansouri, head of the Directorate General of Studies and Documentation, continue their tour of Africa. On Friday, the two officials were received by Angolan President João Lourenço, to whom the head of diplomacy delivered a message from King Mohammed VI, according to the Angolan press agency.
Since taking office in September 2017, President João Lourenço has initiated an overture toward Morocco, breaking with the stance of his predecessor, José Eduardo dos Santos. Angola, a country that still recognizes the «SADR», called in July 2023, during a visit to Rabat, for efforts «to find a just, lasting political solution, mutually acceptable to the parties and based on compromise» regarding the Sahara issue.
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This stopover in Luanda was preceded by a visit to Rwanda the day before. In Kigali, Bourita also delivered a message from King Mohammed VI to President Paul Kagame. Talks between the two sides focused on «ways to further enhance the fruitful bilateral cooperation in various key sectors», according to the Rwandan presidency on X.
Discretion in Morocco
The trip comes at a time when Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are on the brink of direct armed confrontation, with both neighbors accusing each other of supporting separatist groups. Morocco is well-positioned to mediate between the two nations, given its strong ties with both Kigali and the DRC.
South Africa is also involved in the matter, lending its support to the DRC, a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). During their visit to Kinshasa, Nasser Bourita and Yassine Mansouri met with President Étienne Tshisekedi. The DRC supports Morocco's stance on Western Sahara and opened a consulate general in Dakhla in December 2020.
Morocco has maintained silence regarding the visits of the Foreign Minister and the head of the DGED to Angola, Rwanda, and Congo. The same discretion was observed in January during their tour of African countries, including Senegal, Cape Verde, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Congo.
Algeria in Ambush
This diplomatic momentum is intensifying just days ahead of the 38th Ordinary Summit of the African Union, scheduled for February 15–16 in Addis Ababa. The summit will be a crucial moment for Morocco's candidacy for the first vice-presidency of the AU Commission, a position designated for the North African regional group.
Algeria is also vying for the role and has been mobilizing its efforts for months. This is evident from the numerous messages sent by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to his African counterparts, conveyed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other high-ranking officials in Communication and Energy. Even candidate Bakhta Selma Mansouri visited South Sudan and Burkina Faso, with these visits covered by official press releases later echoed by the Algerian press.
For the record, in the summer of 2016, Nasser Bourita and Yassine Mansouri conducted a similar tour across the continent in support of Morocco's bid to join the African Union.
