* Morocco continues its deepening engagement to promote peace, progress and stability in Africa and MENA region *
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(Rabat, Morocco, February 15, 2014) – King Mohammed VI will travel starting next Tuesday on two official visits, to Mali and Guinea Conakry, and two working and friendship visits, to Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon, the Ministry of Royal Household, Protocol and Chancellery announced in a statement on Friday.
King Mohammed VI paid official visits to Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, and Gabon in March 2013, as part of Morocco’s deepening engagement to promote peace, progress and stability in Africa and the MENA region. He underscored Morocco’s commitment to African solidarity in facing the region’s economic and security challenges, in particular concerns about the spread of extremism. He presided over the signing of a host of cooperation accords on economic and development initiatives, and also received strong support on Morocco’s autonomy initiative for Western Sahara.
In September, the Morocco sovereign travelled to Mali for the inauguration of new Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, where the two leaders presided over the signing of an agreement to send 500 Malian imams to Morocco for training in using Morocco’s moderate and tolerant form of Islam to help fight the spread of extremism.
The first 100 imams from Mali have already travelled to Morocco for the program.
Last week, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs announced that Morocco was extending this religious cooperation, with King Mohammed agreeing to requests from Tunisia, Guinea, and Libya for assistance including training in Morocco for imams from the three African nations.
In January, King Mohammed also received Bilal Ag Cherif, Secretary General of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), in his continuing efforts to promote peace and compromise in Mali to preserve the country’s territorial integrity.
Maghreb Arab Press, MACP
