Diplomatic Briefing
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Newsline: US embassy in Morocco tells American citizens to “exercise caution”
The US embassy in Morocco has advised American citizens to “exercise caution” for the next 24 hours in case of additional earthquakes or aftershocks. “A tsunami warning will also be in effect for coastal areas,” the embassy said. “Adhere to police instructions regarding road closures or traffic disruptions,” it added. (https://news.yahoo.com/least-632-dead-powerful-7-073816459.html) At least 800 people were killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake struck late Friday night near Marrakech, according to state-run television. The epicentre of the quake was reported to be at the High Atlas mountains in the Ighil area, about 70km south of Marrakech. The tremors, measured at a 7.2 magnitude by Morocco’s own seismic agency, toppled several buildings across cities and sent people running from their homes late at night. The G20 summit, that kicked off early morning Saturday in India, began with a condolence message from prime minister Narendra Modi. “Before starting the official proceedings, I would like to express my condolences to the people impacted by the earthquake in Morocco,” Mr Modi said. “The world is with Morocco and we are really to provide them with all the possible help.” Countries have, meanwhile, called for caution for those travelling to Morocco.
Newsline: Morocco recalls ambassador to Sweden, summons Sweden’s envoy
Morocco recalled its ambassador to Sweden for an indefinite period after a man tore up and burned a Koran outside Stockholm’s central mosque on Wednesday, the state news agency said. (https://neuters.de/world/europe/morocco-recalls-ambassador-sweden-protest-koran-burning-2023-06-29/) Morocco’s foreign ministry also summoned Sweden’s chargé d’affaires in Rabat on Wednesday and expressed the kingdom’s “strong condemnation of this attack and its rejection of this unacceptable act”, the state news agency said.
Newsline: Moroccans Protest Israeli Ambassador’s Sex Scandal
Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested outside Morocco’s parliament against the kingdom’s normalisation of ties with Israel after the Jewish state recalled its top envoy from Rabat amid a probe, AFP correspondents said. Around 100 people chanted slogans against the rapprochement between Morocco and Israel, criticising its ambassador David Govrin and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. “Today, we are in front of the parliament to protest against the hideous acts” allegedly committed by Govrin, said Amine Abdelhamid, a pro-Palestinian activist against normalisation between Morocco and Israel. “Morocco’s dignity is not for sale, the normalisation must end,” he said. (https://www.albawaba.com/news/moroccans-protest-sex-scandal-israeli-ambassador-rabat-1490585) Protesters burned an Israeli flag at the end of the demonstration. According to Israeli media, ambassador David Govrin is facing allegations of exploiting Moroccan women, sexual harassment and indecent exposure. Rabat cut relations with Israel in 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, but in 2020 Morocco followed the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in formalising ties with Israel.
Newsline: Israel’s Ambassador to Morocco recalled amid harassment allegations
Israel’s Foreign Ministry recalled Ambassador David Govrin from his post in Morocco amid an ongoing inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment, according to a spokesperson. A delegation from Israel, led by the Foreign Ministry’s Inspector General Hagay Behar, arrived in Morocco and is conducting the review. In a statement to i24NEWS the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that, “The issue is known about and is being dealt with.” (https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy/1662371775-morocco-embassy-allegations-israeli-diplomats-accused-of-impropriety) Allegations include the exploitation and harassment of Moroccan women, possible conflicts of interest and the disappearance of gifts received by the mission. A number of other leading Israeli politicians and diplomats are also linked to these claims, according to reports. Besides the accusations of sexual misconduct, it is also examining the disappearance of a gift card received by the embassy from the Moroccan royal household during Israeli independence day celebrations, and a dispute between the ambassador and the embassy’s head of security. If the inquiry surfaces any truth to the allegations, it could cause a diplomatic incident between the two nations that only recently renewed diplomatic contact as part of the Abraham Accords.
Newsline: Morocco recalls Tunisia ambassador over Western Sahara
Morocco recalled its ambassador to Tunisia on Friday after Tunisian President Kais Saied received the head of the Polisario Front movement that is seeking independence for Western Sahara, a territory Morocco regards as its own. Morocco said Tunisia’s decision to invite Brahim Ghali to a Japanese development summit for Africa that Tunis is hosting this weekend was “a grave and unprecedented act that deeply hurts the feelings of the Moroccan people”. In a terse foreign ministry statement, Morocco said it would no longer take part in the summit. It also accused Tunisia of having recently “multiplied negative positions” against Morocco, and that its decision to host Ghali “confirms its hostility in a blatant way”. (https://news.yahoo.com/morocco-recalls-tunisia-ambassador-over-185839088.html) The row opens a new front in a series of disputes over Western Sahara that have already dragged in Spain and Germany and escalated an overarching regional rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, the Polisario’s main backer. Tunisia has this year grown closer to Algeria, its most populous neighbour and one upon which it relies for energy, with Saied meeting Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in July.
Newsline: Morocco withdraws ambassador from UAE
Rabat has withdrawn its ambassador and consulates in the UAE, due to the Emirati authorities’ reluctance for a whole year to appoint an ambassador in Rabat to fill the vacancy. Local websites, including Maghreb Intelligence and Rue20, said that “an unprecedented diplomatic crisis has erupted between Morocco and the UAE, as Morocco has withdrawn, since last week, its ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Ait Ali, who has been in office for more than nine years. Thus, the Moroccan consulates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were also summoned. ” According to the same sources, “Rabat has also emptied its embassy (in Abu Dhabi) by summoning all the consultants and Chargé d’Affaires, which greatly reduced its diplomatic representation in the UAE.” (https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200312-morocco-withdraws-ambassador-from-abu-dhabi/) Media reports attributed the reason for this development, quoting an unnamed Moroccan official, to the position of the UAE’s failure to appoint an ambassador to Morocco for about a year.
Newsline: Morocco’s embassy in Pakistan rejects allegations on «abusing diplomatic immunity»
After it was accused of having allegedly «abused immunity», the Moroccan embassy in Islamabad issued a communiqué, refuting the allegations. «The Embassy categorically denies information», suggesting that it would have imported «26 tons of merchandise», the press release stressed. The diplomatic mission also rejected reports, saying that «the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not have authorized the import of this cargo and that it can, upon gathering the necessary data, investigate the matter». «Duty-free imports require contacting the Protocol Department of the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan», which did not happen, according to the Moroccan embassy. «We have formally contacted the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify this and put an end to these allegations», the same source added. (https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/82637/morocco-s-embassy-pakistan-rejects-allegations.html) Pikistan Today reported that the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Pakistani Customs Administration, is seeking information on a significant number of tax-exempt items that the Moroccan embassy in the country has purchased. The newspaper said that the Moroccan embassy in Islamabad would have said it had not ordered nor imported such a cargo, while claiming to follow the case since the Kingdom’s ambassador himself would have demanded an investigation.
Newsline: Canberra Moroccan embassy employee claims underpayment
The Moroccan embassy is locked in a dispute with an employee who claims to have been underpaid and overworked while in Canberra. Khalid Nassih said he was not paid in the the first six months he worked for the embassy, was forced to sleep in a laundry at the embassy residence, and regularly worked excessively long shifts. Mr Nassih said the embassy threatened to revoke his visa after his Australian-born wife challenged it to repay money owed to her husband. (https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6063130/moroccan-embassy-staffer-claims-he-has-been-underpaid-overworked/?src=rss) The embassy rejected the allegations in a statement to The Canberra Times. However, embassy employees have since met with Mr Nassih’s wife, and agreed to increase his pay, cover some recent medical expenses and specify working hours as part of a new employment contract.
Newsline: Morocco pulls out of Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, recalls ambassador to Riyadh
Move comes after a year of slow diplomatic breakdown concurrent with rise to power of Saudi crown prince. Morocco’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been told to remain in home capital Rabat for ‘consultations.’ Mustapha Mansouri was told by his superiors that he should not go back to Riyadh following a week-long visit back home, a move that is seen by observers as a way to express the North African kingdom’s dissatisfaction with the Saudi regime. Moroccan officials also confirmed the country was pulling its troops out of a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government in a civil war that has become a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, throwing the country into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The decision seemed to have been sparked by the broadcast last week of a documentary doubting Morocco’s claims over the disputed Western Sahara region on the Saudi government-owned Al Arabiya. The documentary came just a month after Morocco’s foreign minister Nasser Bourita expressed concerns over the humanitarian situation in Yemen in an interview with Qatari channel Al Jazeera.
Newsline: Ireland to Open Embassy in Rabat for the First Time
Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Simon Coveney announced that his country will open a new embassy in Rabat to develop trade and business opportunities between Morocco and Ireland. “Ireland is so far one of the few European Union member states without presence in North Africa…a new embassy in Rabat will allow us to develop trading opportunities, especially in the fields of agri-food, agricultural machinery and renewable energy,” Coveney said in a statement to Moroccan state owned press, Maghreb Arab Press (MAP). The decision comes in line with the Global Ireland 2025 strategy to strengthen Ireland’s presence globally. The country plans to open other embassies and consulates in Cardiff, Wales; Frankfurt, Germany; Los Angeles, US; and Kiev, Ukraine, starting from 2019.
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/06/248441/ireland-embassy-rabat-first/
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