Rabat, Morocco- Morocco expressed its “great disappointment” at “the worrying setback that the peace process goes through in Northern Mali.” A statement from Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that “the solution to the crisis in Northern Mali cannot be imposed. It cannot be obtained, through threats, intimidation or blackmail, especially by parties which have no legitimacy to do so, and which have always acted for the destabilization of the region.”
“Indeed, after a promising momentum, under the aegis of ECOWAS, the Malian issue is being dealt with now, by directly interested parties, in an opportunistic manner, and far away from its legal and regional context, advocated by the United Nations,” the statement said.
“Mali cannot continue to be treated like a “private backyard” or a testing ground,” the statement further noted.
“The Kingdom of Morocco, which holds solid and centuries-old ties with the Malian people, including all the components, calls all the active forces of the country and its authorities to work for a solution of compromise that preserves Mali’s territorial integrity and national unity and that meets the aspirations of its people, including those in the North of the country,” the statement closed.
The Moroccan Times.
