Sierra Leone reiterates its support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara
The Moroccan government continues to rally support for its autonomy plan for Western Sahara. The latest country to come out in favour of Morocco's territorial integrity was Sierra Leone, whose foreign minister, Timothy Musa Kuba, visited Rabat on 4 September.
During his meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Kaba underlined Sierra Leone's support for Morocco's autonomy plan as the sole basis for resolving the Western Sahara conflict.
Speaking to the press following the meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Kaba reaffirmed his country's firm commitment to Morocco's territorial integrity, as many other countries have already done, and endorsed the role of the United Nations in achieving a permanent solution to the territorial dispute.
Bilateral relations
With regard to bilateral relations between Sierra Leone and Morocco, Kaba pointed out that, during the meeting, the two countries had committed themselves to implementing the 13 agreements signed and the decisions taken on agriculture, trade and industry at the recent Joint Cooperation Commission, which was held in the Saharawi city of Dakhla on 28 April 2023.
Among the points discussed were Sierra Leone's plans to establish a consulate in Dakhla and support for the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, a project that will provide energy to millions of people on the West African coast.
According to information provided by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, the roadmap signed by the two foreign ministers during their meeting in Rabat establishes a framework for multi-sectoral cooperation between the two countries, in areas such as education and training; technical cooperation; economic promotion and investment; security; and reciprocal visits.
The head of Sierra Leone's diplomacy also expressed his gratitude to Morocco for its support in ensuring that Sierra Leone has a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
This is further evidence of the significant progress in diplomatic relations between the two countries under the leadership of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone.
