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Dr.Mourad Beni-ich is a Political, Intelligence & Strategic Analyst based in Washington, DC. You can follow him on Twitter at: @MonarchKnight[/symple_box]
“Successful Diplomacy Is an Alignment of Objectives and Means–”Dennis Ross
And… Yet another diplomatic blunder for the Kingdom of Morocco!
When a country of the caliber of the Kingdom of Sweden recognizes a delusive entity, such as the “Front of Polisario”, then there is a serious flaw in the manner the Moroccan diplomacy functions.
Moroccans can cry all they want of the disastrous news that fell on their heads unexpectedly, while the preparations to launch the Swedish giant “Ikea” in Morocco were underway. They can curse the Swedish government all they want. They can boycott Swedish goods and place Sweden in their black list. Yet, they fail to face the bitter truth that if there is anyone to put the blame on and to hold accountable for this political and diplomatic gaffe is their own government; the government they have elected to better represent them nationally and internationally.
History will record this as the worst failure in the Moroccan diplomatic history. We are not talking about just some an uninfluential African or Latin American country about, this is Sweden.
Sometimes one wonders how the government picks its officials and what credentials they have to meet to hold a top diplomatic spot. What on earth was the Minister of External Affairs and Cooperation thinking? I, for one, would love to know what is in his “busy” agenda and schedule that kept him distracted from focusing on an important country like Sweden.
Now I understand why the late King Hassan II always refused to let go of the pivotal ministries, which the foreign Affairs Ministry was one of them. The man simply had no faith in the officials who are too busy with the privileges that come with the job than rolling up their sleeves and do some work that will forever keep the Moroccan flag waving sky-high.
Does the Moroccan diplomacy and Foreign Policy really have the must-needed alignment of the means and the objectives?
The answer is so simple and does not need a genius to figure it out: No!
No one can argue that the objectives of the Moroccan diplomacy are well set and established. However, is their really a sincere willingness from the Moroccan officials to find the proper tools and compatible means that will bring results and promote the legitimate Moroccan interests globally? I personally doubt they have any idea what they are doing.
How can the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs explain his passive approach towards the Swedish politics when the leftist party took over in Sweden in 2014? Did he really think back then that neglecting the necessity of appointing a Moroccan ambassador to Stockholm would throw some dust at the eyes of the Swedish politicians, and therefore they will not fall for the trap set by Algeria and its proxy “Polisario”?
Eventually, that amateur diplomatic approach cost Morocco dearly.
For three years now, the Office of the Ambassador in Stockholm in vacant! And so is that in Bern, Switzerland! How dumb is that?!
How can Morocco naively ignore appointing ambassadors in these two influential and pivotal European countries? I strongly doubt that the top diplomat has any idea what he is doing. Our ministers are so busy with their partisan affairs that they have no time for the national affairs, although they pretend to be busy with the Moroccan matters more. Reality proves the opposite of that.
What is so hurtful is that the Moroccan diaspora, as well as their fellow compatriots in Morocco, bleed for their country, do all they can to promote the interests of their country, they have no official umbrella, they have no means to do so, they do not have to do it. Yet, they fight for their country and do not tolerate countries of residence to take actions against their country of birth. They were not elected to act that way. Yet, government officials lean towards convincing them that it is their duty to do so. If so, why do we bother to have an elected government? We might as well let the Moroccan Monarch run the show himself and appoint a technocrat government that will answer to him and to him only. This way, we do not have to hold this government accountable for any political or diplomatic disasters.
It has been said that whoever does not remember the past is condemned to repeat it. And it is also true that whoever learns the wrong lessons from history should expect and anticipate reeducation by painful experiences. This is the case of the Moroccan diplomacy; it never learns from its past mistakes. Morocco failed in many regions in the world to promote its national number one case. Our diplomats do not seem to care, or maybe they lack the know-how to sell their product, even when conditions permit.
On the other hand, and let us be transparent when addressing our national affairs. Let us agree that the Moroccan diplomacy is nothing but a failure, and we all remember how Moroccan diplomats failed in Canada when Javier Bardem launched his documentary “Sons of the Clouds” and went viral on every mainstream media, while our diplomats in Ottawa were enjoying their 3-4 years open vacation. Where are the Moroccan diaspora cocktail of associations that milk money from both sides: Morocco and countries of residence? They keep bragging about their “outstanding” work to promote Morocco, while all the results we see are their businesses growing and bank accounts getting fat.
Another bitter and hurtful reality is that the Moroccan diaspora is just a ragtag group of Machiavellians and opportunists who jump on any occasion, national or otherwise, to brand nothing but their names and their businesses. The same faces we see repeatedly and for decades taking charge and control of the “Moroccan affairs” abroad. The truth is that they are not outside the government radar, and they cannot operate without the green light of some entity or someone back home. This is a fact, and let us not kid ourselves, that if we truly seek to find a cure to our diplomatic disease.
Another crucial aspect in the Moroccan failed diplomacy. Frankly, Moroccans do not know who is in charge of their diplomatic affairs. This is so true. The norm is that the Minister of the Foreign Affairs is the one in charge, but reality tells us otherwise. One can only ask who is in charge of the dossier of the Sahara to figure this out. One can only ask why this failed Lobby Firm in Washington, DC “MACP” is still up and running, milking millions of Dollars of Moroccans’ tax money, with no concrete results on the ground. In the meantime, Algeria and its proxy “Polisario” are spending way less than Morocco does, and they are scoring big in the most powerful capital in the world through their lobbyist RFK. These are facts, and if not anyone sees it is certainly living in a world of his own or he is out of this galaxy.
The Moroccan Monarch stressed in many occasions that the issue of Sahara is a matter of dignity and not just a dossier that keeps our diplomacy busy. In other words, handling the dossier should be with more professionalism and a true sense of patriotism. Alas, our diplomats deeply believe that they are on an open holiday when they are assigned their mission. This was actually mentioned in the King’s speech, which had a harsh tone and which had the entire Moroccan diplomatic apparatus shaken to the bone. But it seems that it was just a passing storm that cooled down ultimately, due to the malice and the slyness of those who believe they hold the keys to Morocco. The king did his part and gave his orders, he cannot follow up personally with every detail, otherwise, what is the point of having all these institutions around?!
The flaw is not in the King.. The flaw is in those surrounding him.. They failed him.. They failed themselves.. And they failed the entire nation.
If the current Minister of Foreign Affairs has a drop of pride and dignity, he should resign. Otherwise, he is conspiring against his King and against this great nation of Morocco.. Moroccans deserve a better civil servant and a better diplomat than the caliber of this Minister who is nothing but a failure and a shame to the Moroccan diplomacy.
Delivering a speech Mr. Minister does NOT make you a diplomat mister.. You are so incompetent and a disgrace to the Moroccan diplomacy.. Own it!
