Republic of Chad inaugurates its new consulate in the Moroccan Sahara
The commitment made in September 2022 by the President of Chad to King Mohammed VI is thus fulfilled
The Republic of Chad officially inaugurated on 14 August its new consulate general in the Moroccan city of Dakhla, located in the Western Sahara region.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over, on behalf of the Moroccan government, by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Resident Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and his Chadian counterpart, Abderaman Koulamallah.
Commitment made in 2022
The opening of this Consulate General of the Republic of Chad in the Moroccan Sahara is the fulfilment of a commitment made by the Chadian government to Morocco in September 2022.
At that time, the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, conveyed to King Mohammed VI of Morocco his promise that the Republic of Chad would open a consulate general in the city of Dakhla, located in the Western Sahara region.
The choice of Dakhla as a location is not accidental, as it underlines Chad's support for Morocco's sovereignty over this region and its territorial integrity, an issue on which Morocco's diplomatic relations hinge.
Chad and Morocco
The opening of the Chadian consulate general in Dakhla also serves to visualise the close relations between the two countries and the momentum of diplomatic and political cooperation between Rabat and N'Djamena.
Both countries hope that the existence of this consulate will serve to improve commercial and cultural exchange between the two countries and facilitate consular services for Chadian citizens residing in the Sahara region.
It should be noted that Morocco and Chad have important commercial and cultural ties. As highlighted during the bilateral forum held in November 2022, a large number of executives from Chadian companies and government agencies have been trained in Morocco and currently hold high-level positions in the public and private sectors.
The ties between the two countries also extend to the economic sphere: Chad has more than 39 million hectares of arable land, of which only 6 % is exploited.
Morocco's potential in the fertiliser sector could be key to the development of this arable land, which would enable Chad to develop its agricultural sector and become one of Africa's granaries.
In the cultural sphere, Chad's capital, N'Djamena, has the Mohammed VI Mosque and a Moroccan Cultural Centre, which are sources of active cooperation and symbolise the fraternal ties between the two countries.
Morocco and the Sahel
Strategically, Morocco is trying to occupy an important position among the countries of the Sahel strip, including Chad, by taking advantage of its privileged position on the west coast of Africa. The countries in this area, which are landlocked, benefit from an alliance with Morocco, which can offer them a logistical outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.
This outlet is precisely through the Western Sahara region and the port of Dakhla. This is why the project for this Atlantic port is one of Morocco's priorities in terms of infrastructure construction.
Relations between Morocco and Chad are therefore an example of what the former aims to achieve in relations with the countries of the always complicated Sahel region.
Diplomatic strategy in the Sahara
On the other hand, it is also worth highlighting the strategy being pursued by the Moroccan government, seeking the support of an increasing number of countries for its territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Western Sahara region.
The opening of the new Consulate General of the Republic of Chad in Dakhla took place in the context of the visit to Morocco of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Chadians Living Abroad and International Cooperation, Abderaman Koulamallah.
The Chadian Foreign Minister expressed to his Bourita counterpart the Chadian government's support for Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.
With the opening of the new consulate general of the Republic of Chad, the number of consulates in the province of El Su increased to 29, of which 17 are in the city of Dakhla.
For Morocco, this reinforces the international image of its sovereignty over Western Sahara and its territorial integrity, an issue that underpins the country's foreign policy.
