Sierra Leone expressed, on Tuesday in Rabat, its willingness to fully engage in the initiatives spearheaded by King Mohammed VI for West Africa.
This position was expressed in a Joint Communiqué issued following discussions between visiting Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba and his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita.
In this Joint Communiqué, Kabba notably praised the leadership of King Mohammed VI and his far-sighted vision about the consolidation of South-South cooperation and solidarity to address challenges and promote regional initiatives that advance stability and socio-economic development in the service of African peoples.
The Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister also welcomed Morocco’s commendable contribution to the promotion of peace and sustainable development in the sub-region since the establishment of the Mano River Union.
Kabba further applauded the “enlightened royal initiative”, within the framework of the Atlantic African States process, aimed at strengthening cooperation by making the Atlantic African space a geostrategic framework for intra-African cooperation and the promotion of stability and prosperity.
He also praised the opportunity provided by the royal initiative to facilitate access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, which will contribute to the socio-economic development of the region and ensure stability and prosperity in Africa.
Regarding the Sahara issue, the Sierra Leonean official reiterated his country’s full support for the Moroccan autonomy plan, which remains the only “credible, serious, and realistic solution” to this dispute, expressing support for the process led by the United Nations to achieve a realistic, practical, and sustainable settlement.
He recalled his country’s “firm support” for Morocco’s territorial integrity, as evidenced by Sierra Leone’s opening of a consulate in Dakhla in 2021 and its participation in the Ministerial Conference in support of the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty held by the Kingdom and the United States, the joint communiqué said.
Furthermore, both parties emphasized the role of the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline project, which is expected to boost the economic integration of the region and benefit all concerned nations, including Sierra Leone, by unlocking their industrial potential and reducing their energy deficit.
At the bilateral level, the two parties expressed their full commitment to consolidate, and widen the scope of their cooperation, and their willingness to conclude a new generation cooperation roadmap for the 2024-2026 period.
Sierra Leone welcomed the cooperation actions undertaken within the framework of the 2021-2023 cooperation roadmap in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, health, renewable energy, and tourism and the two sides vowed to explore new horizons to unleash vast potential in economic, social, and cultural realms.
Bourita and Kabba also celebrated the strong bonds of brotherhood, solidarity, support, and understanding between the Moroccan and Sierra Leonean peoples, the mutual esteem between King Mohammed VI and President Julius Maada Bio, as well as the shared desire to make Morocco-Sierra Leone partnership an exceptional model of intra-African cooperation, based on values of solidarity, exchange, and sharing.
Likewise, both parties acknowledged the accomplishments and expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the third joint commission held on April 28, 2023, in Dakhla, which reinforced the ambitions of both countries to make further progress and strengthen the bonds of friendship, solidarity, and cooperation.
Furthermore, the joint communiqué highlighted the two countries’ shared ambitions and objectives for the reinforcement of their joint action towards an effective partnership, serving progress, development, well-being, and above all, the realization of the common aspirations of two nations.
On the other hand, Bourita extended his best wishes to Sierra Leone for its new mandate as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2024-2025. He emphasized that Morocco remains committed to working together with Sierra Leone to develop a common vision for international peace and security, and for peaceful solutions to international and regional disputes.