Moroccan-African Diplomacy in King’s Mohamed VI Era

Incredibly, every move and shift in Moroccan politics has been attached by the irresistible projection of foreign policy in terms of principled constancy and shifts that followed. Nowadays, it is commonplace to argue how many fundamental changes have occurred in post-King Hassan II Morocco since 1999.

For instance, has Moroccan foreign policy experienced a great shift in its approach, norms, security priorities, and key interest over the past two decades? Due to this, international broadcasting has once again centralized on Kings’ diplomacy speech held on November 7th, in which King Mohamed 6, the head of the ruling constitutional party of Morocco, delivered the work report defining the demarche of its foreign policy for the next 3 decades. The questions hereby involve Moroccan leader’s perception of our “African community”, their development objectives and means, and new principles of foreign policy for the upcoming decades.

As the Kingdom of Morocco is motivated by the royal glory and the centenary success from the beginning of the 20th century, its people have struggled continuously and diligently for realizing the rejuvenation of the Moroccan nation. Given this, King Mohamed 6 acknowledged that now the Kingdom of Morocco has entered the critical stage of its rise to a regional power since his Majesty initiated the remodel and openness-up in the late 1990s. He undertakes to maintain upholding the key goal of preserving regional and African peace and promoting common development with all countries. Simultaneously, King Mohamed 6 underlined that it is the Moroccan political ruling party’s abiding mission to make greater contributions for building a community with a shared future for humans in the globalized era.

To the people who believe in realism thinking and power politics, it is demanding for them to abandon the notion of “the Thucydides trap” simply because Morocco, like any other rising regional power historically, would surely challenge the ruling power’s interest, value, and prestige. Hence, His Majesty called upon in his address at the Green March to recreating a new form of regional relations featuring mutual respect, shared benefits, justice, and win-win cooperation. This article seeks to elucidate the approach of King Mohamed’s foreign policy from the concept, objective, and prospect which were illustrated at the Moroccan speech.

Theoretically, the Moroccan people, both Political parties and the King, have preached that regional multi-polarity, economic globalization, and cultural diversity are the moving global trend forward. Considering this, diplomatic changes in the international governance system and global order are inevitable. In doing so, our “ Regional Community ” is bounded by uncertainties and destabilizing aspects covering from the growing lack of energy, broadening gap between rich and poor countries, and hotspot issues in many areas; not to mention alarming unconventional security cases like terrorism, cyber-security, climate changes, and major contagious diseases. As we are living in a society with a shared future, it is feasible for all states to cooperate, as one united, we never fail, while keeping each own identity. No state alone can face so many challenges and issues, and no state can afford to retreat into self-isolation as well.

As the largest developing country in the Northern Africa, The Kingdom of Morocco will sustain to endorse commerce and investment liberalization and facilitation, and seek to ease economic regionalization more open, inclusive, and fairer so that it would benefit all African countries concerned. This takes that Morocco actively develops African and international partnerships and enlarges the proximity of interests with other countries. Simultaneously, as the most dynamic growing power along with other African states like Rwanda and Kenya, The Kingdom of Morocco has continually acknowledged that will never quest development at the expense of others’ interests, nor will Morocco ever quit its legitimate rights and core interests. Due to this, it seeks a national security approach that is in nature defensive, and in the future, Rabat will never pursue supremacy or rivalry to jeopardize the regional order.

Thus, what does Morocco want in its long-term approach?

As one of the preys of the colonialist powers in modern history, Morocco had endured too much more and too much longer than any other North African country. Because of this, the Moroccans have never paused to pursue their national ambition to be a strong regional power and, with such a dream, they naturally look to develop mutual and friendly ties with states around the African continent and eventually to be involved in the continental governance. Rather than acting as a hegemonic power against the status quo, the Kingdom of Morocco has at once proven its respect for the global order, responsibilities for continental issues, and promotion of reciprocal benefits and comprehensiveness in global affairs. Currently, Moroccan decision-makers have illustrated their refusal of the colonist power politics mindset but underlined a new approach to upgrade state-to-state relations through negotiations and dialogues, in particular the new practice of regional power diplomacy Initiated by His Majesty. Despite some still trying to blame Morocco for causing tensions in the region, indicating its strained ties with neighbors Mauritania and Tunisia, the Kingdom of Morocco keeps devoted to regional stability and peace as playing a more proactive role in averting disputes and chaos in the North African region including on Libya’s crisis.  

Strategically speaking, how does The Kingdom of Morocco reach its African diplomacy mission by 2030?

Unquestionably, the Kingdom is not “Idealistic” considering the intricated world and their still limited leverage in foreign affairs. Meanwhile, they have gradually run after the national dream for a century, the leading Moroccan elite in Kingdom has been aware of the “global changes” that are full of challenges and Espoir. Then, King Mohamed IV explicitly acknowledged that Morocco will attempt to found a pragmatic framework for regional-power connection featuring global stability and shared respects for each core interest and key advantages. Morocco will strengthen relations with its many neighbor states following the norm of honesty, shared understanding, and mutual benefits. Morocco will regularly exercise its extreme efforts to widen and enhance cohesion and cooperation with other African states, which sustain the foundation of King foreign diplomacy in the 21st century.  

Foreign Affairs is always impacted by the changes in foreign policy, several priorities in internal politics, and the ruling elite’s view of world reality. In a view of this, it is undeniable that Morocco’s foreign policy will be changed or even amended accordingly. Nonetheless, cautiously that the revival of the Moroccan realm is a century dream which not only demands combined efforts but also closely related to the authority of the ruling royal Kingdom; thus, no leading elite of Morocco challenge to change this historical task uttered by the mandate destiny. This is one of the main motives why King Mohamed VI guarantees to work together persistently and uphold the essential strategy of opening up diplomacy and seek balanced development with its doors open broadly.

To the end, since King Mohamed VI launched the outline of the King’s African Diplomacy in 2016, the Moroccan government has spent vast energy, resources, and perception on building up a sound platform for African cooperation to establish new mechanisms of shared development, and broad are multiple-fields like public policy, communication services, trading, industrial productivity, and social-cultural creativity. All highlight that Morocco is keen to act as a true actor of the future African affairs, a liable power involving the rules-making, and one of the key players to maintain the regional and African order by both peace and diplomacy. Regardless of what is a need in the future, there is no hesitation for this emerging giant rising regional power.

Jamal Laadam
Jamal Laadam
Dr. Jamal Ait Laadam, Specialist in North African and Western Sahara Issue, at Jilin University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).