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The key role of the Kingdom of Morocco for peace and stability in Africa, was highlighted, Wednesday in Addis Ababa, before the 16th Ordinary Ministerial Meeting of the African Union (AU) Specialized Technical Committee on Defense, Safety and Security (STCDSS).
The Kingdom’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, who is leading the Moroccan delegation at this 16th ordinary session of the STC on Defense, Safety and Security of the AU, stressed that military cooperation between Morocco and African countries is in line with the Kingdom’s traditional vision of solidarity, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. It is meant to prevent conflict and maintain peace and stability on the African continent, underlined Arrouchi.
This cooperation represents an effective tool for implementing the African roadmap aimed at silencing weapons by strengthening the capacities of African armies and improving their interoperability, reiterated the Moroccan diplomat.
Under a number of Framework Agreements and Technical Arrangements signed between Morocco and its African partners, this cooperation covers several areas, including training and education, technical and logistical support, exchange of expertise, humanitarian assistance and participation in peacekeeping operations, said Arrouchi.
On this last aspect, the Kingdom of Morocco is making considerable efforts through the deployment of its peacekeepers as part of UN missions in Africa, and the secondment of staff to the AU’s logistics base in Douala, said the Moroccan diplomat, adding that, thanks to these contributions, the Kingdom of Morocco ranks 9th among UN troop-contributing countries. In addition, the recent creation of a Center of Excellence for Peacekeeping Operations in Morocco could be put to good use in training African personnel in this field, he noted.
On this basis, the Kingdom has acquired invaluable experience and expertise in the field of peace operations, as have certain African countries, thanks to its commitments dating back to 1960, which could be put to good use as part of the process of reflection on the re-conceptualization of PSOs in general and the ASF in particular.
In this respect, delegations, including that of the Kingdom, have emphasized the importance of adopting an inclusive and equitable approach at meetings of experts and Chiefs of Staff, which would ultimately ensure that the continent is not deprived of any of its potential to support Peace and Stability in Africa, said Arrouchi.
On the humanitarian front, the Kingdom’s contribution has also been decisive. Several Field Medical-Surgical Hospitals have been deployed in Africa, providing over 600,000 medical services.
In the wake of military training, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces take an active part, alongside their African counterparts, in joint exercises and maneuvers, including the multinational African-Lion exercise held annually in the Kingdom with the participation of units or observers from the continent. “These joint activities promote the exchange of expertise and optimize the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of our respective countries,” emphasized the Moroccan diplomat.
As far as military training is concerned, more than 24,000 African trainees have so far taken courses at FAR establishments. In addition, FAR mobile teams are mobilized to provide specific training in partner countries, he added.
Source: map
