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Angola’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has been to Rabat on Monday in an official visit. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti has met his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in the headquarters of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation where they both held talks.
Rebelo’s visit to Morocco comes just four days after he met in Luanda, the capital of Angola, with the Polisario’s «Minister of Foreign Affairs», Mohamed Salem Ould Salek. The Angolan official then retreated his country’s support for the separatist movement, as reported by the Front’s media.
Once in Rabat, Chikoli adopted a new discourse, praising the «considerable progress» that the Moroccan-Angolian relations are experiencing. The Minister announced that the two countries are committed to «look at future from a cooperative perspective».
What’s after Dos Santos
This visit of Pinto Chikoti to the kingdom intervenes while the Angolan political scene is welcoming a new era as the president Dos Santos is leaving (74 years). Last May, the seriously ill head of state was rushed to Spain for «medical reasons». He spent almost a month in a hospital in Barcelona before returning to his country.
Dos Santos, who has always supported the Polisario, announced that he would not seek re-election as head of the country. Nevertheless, he appointed the current Minister of Defense, Joao Lourenco, and vice president of the MPLA (the popular movement for the liberation of Angola).
In other words, Dos Santos plans are expected to take place in August following the parliamentary elections. However, the president does not intend to retire. He will continue to preside the MPLA, one of the largest political parties in Angola.
Since 2009, Rabat had initiated a policy to boost its relations with Luanda appointing a former member of the Polisario, Mustapha Bouh Al Barazani, ambassador to Angola it recognizes the legitimacy separatist movement. However, this step did not affect Angola's support for the Polisario.
