Morocco’s permanent representative to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Mohamed Arrouchi, highlighted the Kingdom’s key role in maintaining and preserving peace, particularly in Africa, under the Wise Leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him.
Intervening at a ministerial meeting of the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) on the briefing on the status of implementation of the Common African Defence and Security Policy and the Operationalisation of the Africa Standby Force (ASF), Arrouchi reiterated Morocco’s commitment to peacekeeping and peacebuilding, particularly in Africa.
The Moroccan diplomat also recalled His Majesty the King’s speech at the 30th African Union (AU) Summit, in which the Sovereign affirmed that Morocco “will continue to endorse the lofty causes of the Continent and will work untiringly towards the promotion of peace, stability, and development in the Continent.”
In this regard, Arrouchi underlined during this meeting, which was held via video conference, that military cooperation between Morocco and African countries is part of the Kingdom’s vision of solidarity, under the Enlightened Leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), noting that cooperation aims to prevent conflicts and maintain peace and stability in Africa.
Arrouchi added that this cooperation is an effective tool for implementing the African roadmap aimed at silencing weapons through the strengthening of the African armies’ capacities and their interoperability, recalling that this cooperation focuses on several areas, namely training and education, technical and logistical support, exchange of expertise, humanitarian assistance, and participation in peacekeeping operations (PKOs).
The Moroccan diplomat highlighted Morocco’s considerable efforts in maintaining peace, recalling the deployment of Moroccan peacekeepers in six United Nations (UN) missions in Africa and at the African Union’s (AU) logistics base in Cameroon.
In addition, Morocco’s permanent representative to the African Union (AU) also stated that the recent establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Peacekeeping Operations in Morocco will contribute to training for civilian military, police experts, and regional, continental, and international organizations, notably the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
Arrouchi also reaffirmed that Morocco, since its independence, is committed to working jointly with its African partners to ensure lasting peace in Africa, thus guaranteeing the well-being and prosperity of African populations.
The Moroccan diplomat recalled that the second extraordinary session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Defense, Safety and Security (STCDSS), held on January 15, 2016, underlined that the African Standby Forces (ASF) had reached full operational capability, following the successful completion of the Amani Africa Il Field Training Exercise and the confirmation of full operational capability by four Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs).
Arrouchi stressed that Communiqué No. 1007 (08 July 2021) of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) requested the African Union (AU) Commission and the RECs/RMs “to double their efforts towards the finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at facilitating working relations for the African Standby Forces (ASF) and, to this effect, request the Peace and Security Council (PSC) Military Staff Committee to work with the African Union (AU) Commission to finalize the drafting of the MoU between the African Union (AU) and the RECs/RMs on the deployment and employment of the African Standby Forces (ASF) before submitting it to the Peace and Security Council (PSC) for consideration.”
In this regard, Arrouchi emphasized the imperative of complying with the decision of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), by submitting the draft for consideration by the PSC, before its final adoption by the Executive Council and the Conference.
The Moroccan diplomat also added that the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) serve as a catalyst and key player in the preservation of peace and security in Africa, based on complementarity and subsidiarity, in line with the 2008 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) operating in the field of peace and security.
In this regard, Arrouchi affirmed Morocco’s support for the adoption of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on the African Standby Forces (ASF) as long as it is inclusive, ensuring its ownership by all stakeholders, in particular the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs), noting that the exclusion of three RECs from the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the AU and the RECs/RMs on the African Standby Forces (ASF) contradicts the objectives of the Abuja Treaty, of the founding texts of the AU.
The Moroccan diplomat stated that the Kingdom believes that the successful operational implementation of the ASF is dependent on its inclusiveness and the rationalization of its approaches and actions, in line with the rules and procedures of the AU, and in full compliance with Article 17 of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) Protocol.
Arrouchi added that the current situation demonstrates the extent to which security is essential for development, just as development is essential for security, stressing the urgent need to revitalize and operationalize all the pillars of mutual peace and security architecture, in view of the threats, with its unfortunate humanitarian and structural consequences, and the urgency of taking action to meet the challenges of peace and security in Africa.
The diplomat underlined that Morocco emphasizes the need to adopt a renewed common African defense and security policy, tailored to the nature of current challenges, and which will serve as a unified roadmap in the field of peace and security.
It is important to ensure the inclusion of the eight RECs in the adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the AU and the RECs/RMs on the ASF, which are all integral parts of the organs and mechanisms for the implementation of the Common African Defence and Security Policy, in line with the provisions of the Solemn Declaration on the Common African Defence and Security Policy, adopted by the Heads of State and Government in February 2004.
Arrouchi further added that Morocco stresses the strategic importance of adopting an action approach based on the interweaving and interdependence between peace, security, and development for Africa, in order to deal operationally and sustainably with instability and insecurity in the continent, noting that the nexus of peace, security, and development, initiated by the AU at the first Tangiers Conference in October 2022, should be the focus of the African doctrine in terms of preserving and supporting the collective peace and security of the African continent.
