
AU Commission Renews Morocco's Mohamed Belaiche Mandate in Sudan
The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssou, reappointed Belaiche, in recognition of Morocco's expertise and its commitment to promoting peace and stability across Africa.
Belaiche's profile is full of expertise as he held several senior positions, including ambassador of Morocco to Sudan.
With an in-depth knowledge of the situation on the ground, Belaiche holds strong experience in mediation processes and political transition management.
The appointment comes in a complex regional context as Sudan has endured a civil war since April 2023 after a power struggle erupted between the country's army and a paramilitary group.
The conflict followed the 2019 ousting of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in a coup in 1989.
The situation caused not only ethnic killings, but also famine and massive displacements.
According to the UN, confirming the exact number of civilian deaths in clashes remains difficult.
'But reports indicate that at least 300 people, including children and pregnant women, were killed in attacks… between 10 and 13 July,' the UN said earlier this month.
During Morocco's presidency of the AU Peace and Security Council in September 2019, the country led a resolute diplomatic effort that resulted in Sudan's reinstatement in the AU after a period of suspension.
AU countries welcomed Morocco's effort, marking a significant milestone in the AU's support for Sudan's transitional process.
During an EU Peace and Security Meeting last year, Morocco called for a lasting political solution to the ongoing crisis in Sudan, where the conflict led to the massive displacement of more than 9.4 million people.
Morocco notably conveyed hope for an end to the military confrontations, advocating for dialogue and restoring trust. Tags: Crisis in SudanMoroccans in Sudan

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Morocco World
20 hours ago
- Morocco World
AU Commission Renews Morocco's Mohamed Belaiche Mandate in Sudan
Rabat – The African Union has renewed the mandate of Morocco's Mohamed Belaiche as a special representative of the AU Commission Chairperson and head of the Union's Liaison Office in Sudan. The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssou, reappointed Belaiche, in recognition of Morocco's expertise and its commitment to promoting peace and stability across Africa. Belaiche's profile is full of expertise as he held several senior positions, including ambassador of Morocco to Sudan. With an in-depth knowledge of the situation on the ground, Belaiche holds strong experience in mediation processes and political transition management. The appointment comes in a complex regional context as Sudan has endured a civil war since April 2023 after a power struggle erupted between the country's army and a paramilitary group. The conflict followed the 2019 ousting of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in a coup in 1989. The situation caused not only ethnic killings, but also famine and massive displacements. According to the UN, confirming the exact number of civilian deaths in clashes remains difficult. 'But reports indicate that at least 300 people, including children and pregnant women, were killed in attacks… between 10 and 13 July,' the UN said earlier this month. During Morocco's presidency of the AU Peace and Security Council in September 2019, the country led a resolute diplomatic effort that resulted in Sudan's reinstatement in the AU after a period of suspension. AU countries welcomed Morocco's effort, marking a significant milestone in the AU's support for Sudan's transitional process. During an EU Peace and Security Meeting last year, Morocco called for a lasting political solution to the ongoing crisis in Sudan, where the conflict led to the massive displacement of more than 9.4 million people. Morocco notably conveyed hope for an end to the military confrontations, advocating for dialogue and restoring trust. Tags: Crisis in SudanMoroccans in Sudan


Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
Italy-Algeria Summit: Abdelmadjid Tebboune Embarrasses Himself With Isolated Support for Polisario
Rabat – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has once again put himself in an isolated position by expressing support for Polisario's separatism claims in Western Sahara. Following a meeting and discussions with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Tebboune claimed the European country 'shares' Algeria's perspective on the Western Sahara dispute, asserting 'a perfect convergence' of views between the two countries regarding Polisario's right to 'self-determination.' Yet a statement by the Italian government conveyed a different story, omitting any mention of the country's reported support for the Polisario's outdated self-determination cause. In the declaration it issued following the Italian-Algerian summit on July 23, the Italian government instead announced its commitment toward a balanced, mutually acceptable political solution in line with UN resolutions. 'On the issue of Western Sahara, both parties reiterated their support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, to relaunch direct negotiations and achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the relevant Security Council resolutions,' the statement said. The joint declaration reveals a clear divergence from Tebboune's claims, and the Italian response comes as no surprise. Tebboune's recent claims reflect a familiar approach deployed by the Algerian regime. In recent years, Algeria has repeatedly used international and regional forums to promote Polisario's separatist agenda in southern Morocco. Tebboune deployed the same approach in June with Rwanda, and he was caught red-handed disseminating false information regarding the country's position on Western Sahara. Following a meeting with Rwandan president Paul Kagame in June, Tebboune and Algerian mouthpiece media claimed that Kagame had joined his Algerian counterpart in stressing their alleged support for the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. Yet, Kagame's official website published a communique detailing his remarks with no explicit or implicit mention of Rwanda's support for Polisario's self-determination and referendum aspirations. Such distortion attempts by Algeria show the Algerian regime's desperation to undermine Morocco's growing momentum in the Sahara dossier. Algeria's desperation comes as more countries now embrace the Moroccan Autonomy plan as the most serious and credible path to a lasting political solution to the Western Sahara dispute. Even in Italy, many MPs are viewing the autonomy initiative as a viable political solution to end the long-standing dispute. In 2020, several Italian political parties formed a parliamentary group to voice their support for the initiative. 'Our objective is to reinforce the United Nations' efforts to reach a pragmatic, political, and realistic solution based on compromise,' they said. 'Numerous European states consider the autonomy plan as the most serious and credible solution to put an end to this dispute.' Morocco believes it is only a matter of time before more countries from the EU and beyond join the growing chorus in support of diplomatic pragmatism and political compromise as the only horizon for peace, security, and prosperity in the Sahara. Currently, as many as 114 countries support the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, viewing it as the most viable route to a genuine and sustainable end to the Sahara dispute. Tags: Algeria and polisarioAlgeria and the Western Sahara


Ya Biladi
2 days ago
- Ya Biladi
Sahara : Italy sidesteps Algeria's push for «self-determination of the Sahrawi people»
On Wednesday, July 23, Rome hosted the 5th intergovernmental summit between Italy and Algeria. At the end of the high-level meeting, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune each delivered statements summarizing the key issues discussed. As is customary during such international engagements, the Algerian president expressed satisfaction with what he called the «perfect convergence» of views between Rome and Algiers on several political matters. On the Western Sahara issue, Tebboune stated that Italy «supports the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General's Personal Envoy to achieve a just political solution, in accordance with international legality, allowing the Sahrawi people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination». Joint Statement Contradicts Tebboune's Remarks However, the official joint communiqué released Wednesday by the Italian government presents a notably different stance. In paragraph 29, the document states that both countries «reiterated their support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, to revive direct negotiations and achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions». Notably absent from this joint communiqué is any mention of the «self-determination of the Sahrawi people», which Tebboune emphasized in his remarks. Moreover, in her statement to the press, Prime Minister Meloni did not address the Western Sahara issue. Instead, she highlighted discussions with President Tebboune on crises in the Sahel and Libya. Italy's position on the Western Sahara has been consistent in recent years. In July 2023, following a meeting between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, Rome reaffirmed its support for «the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco» to resolve the dispute. It also reiterated its backing of «the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to continue the political process aimed at reaching a just, realistic, pragmatic, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue, based on compromise and in accordance with resolution 2654», adopted by the Security Council in October 2022, a resolution Algeria notably rejected. Italy also called on «all parties to remain engaged in a spirit of realism and compromise, within a framework consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter».