As the chair of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for March, the Kingdom of Morocco convened informal consultations in Addis Ababa on Tuesday with Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Sudan.

“It is with a deep sense of responsibility and an unwavering commitment to the unity, peace, stability and progress of our beloved continent that the Kingdom of Morocco, in its capacity as Chair of the PSC, has convened these informal discussions with our brothers from Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Sudan”, the Kingdom’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA Mohamed Arrouchi, who chaired the videoconference remarked.

He recalled that these exchanges fall fully in line with the PSC’s mandate, as defined by its Protocol, in particular Article 8 paragraph 11, which provides for informal consultations with the parties concerned by a situation under examination, whenever required.

Through implementing this key provision of the Protocol, “our meeting aims to strengthen dialogue with states in political transition, to listen to them and to explore together the best means to promote stability, peace and their return to constitutional order, thus paving the way for their full reintegration into our continental organization”, the Moroccan diplomat asserted.

This informal framework “presents the opportunity to address, in all frankness and in a constructive spirit, the challenges and expectations of these brotherly countries, taking into account the realities that are theirs, their national peculiarities and the regional dynamics in which they evolve”, the Ambassador emphasized.

Arrouchi added that the meeting was therefore an essential step towards strengthening dialogue between countries in political transition and AU institutions, identifying paths of intersection and reinforcing inter-African cooperation for lasting peace and stability.

“Our joint action towards our brothers in transition must be guided by a multidimensional approach, rooted in cooperation and solidarity, to identify sustainable solutions tailored to the specific contexts of each country”, he stressed, noting that ‘this meeting marks a significant step towards common and lasting solutions in favour of peace, stability and progress in Africa’.

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The State Department says South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, who was declared “persona non grata” last week, has until Friday to leave the country.

After Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was no longer welcome in the U.S. and posted his decision Friday on social media, South African embassy staff were summoned to the State Department and given a formal diplomatic note explaining the decision, department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

She said Rasool’s diplomatic privileges and immunities expired Monday and that he would be required to leave the United States by Friday.

South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said in a television interview on Monday that Rasool was still in the U.S. but would be leaving as soon as possible.

Rubio announced his decision in a post on X as he was flying back to the United States from a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada. In it, he accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates President Donald Trump.

His post linked to a story by the conservative Breitbart news site about a talk Rasool gave earlier Friday in Johannesburg as part of a South African think tank’s webinar. Rasool, speaking by videoconference, talked about actions taken by the Trump administration in the context of a United States where white people soon would no longer be in the majority.

It is highly unusual for the U.S. to expel a foreign ambassador, although lower-ranking diplomats are more frequently targeted with persona non grata status.

Rubio’s decision was the latest Trump administration move targeting South Africa. Trump signed an executive order last month halting funding to the country. It criticized the Black-led South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting “bad actors” in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Monday that Rasool would give him a report when he returned home.

Ramaphosa said his government has “noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States,” and particularly about Rasool’s remarks, but stressed that he believed South Africa was in the process of rebuilding its relationship with the U.S.

“This is a hiccup, a hiccup we are working on straightening out,” he said.

“We will engage with the United States of America in a formal way,” Ramaphosa said. “We will do so with deep respect for them and for President Trump as well. Our relationship with the United States is going to be put on an even keel, so I would like the people of South Africa not to have sleepless nights.”

Bruce said the United States expects a certain level of respect.

“We’ve had a decent level of diplomacy with South Africa. There are some challenges, but you want people in each embassy who can actually facilitate a relationship,” she told reporters on Monday. “And these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president, but to every American.”

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said South Africa intended to raise questions with the U.S. over Rubio seemingly announcing on social media that Rasool was no longer welcome in the U.S. before informing him of the decision.

Phiri said South Africa believed such matters should first be discussed diplomatically. “But this is the reality that we also have to contend with with this administration. That it does seem as though Twitter (X) is the preferred mode of communication,” the spokesman said in an interview on the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation.

Bruce said the meeting with South African embassy staff was on Friday. Rubio’s post went out at 4:42 p.m. on Friday.

-AP

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Morocco’s ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Moha OU Ali Tagma has alerted that fake news are currently circulating on numerous social media platforms, falsely alleging that Moroccan law enforcement has killed several hundred migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The ambassador noted to the Sports Village Square that “it is inconceivable that an event of such magnitude could have taken place without being reported by any international media agencies.

“Given the seriousness of these allegations, major global news outlets, human rights organizations, and diplomatic observers would have immediately investigated and exposed the truth.

Continuing, the ambassador remarked that the fact that no embassy of the concerned African countries has issued any statement on this matter further proves the falsehood of these claims.

“These disinformation campaigns are designed to incite division and must be firmly rejected.

“Everybody knows that Morocco, as an African country, remains fully committed to strengthening its partnership with African nations, based on mutual respect, cooperation, and shared prosperity.”

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