In reality, the UN Resolution is not unanimous. The mapping of the vote proves the fragmentation of the world attitude on this war. 35 countries including China, India and most of Asia and some African countries abstained. That said, a non-negligible part of the international community refuses to align itself in a conflict perceived as a geopolitical showdown between Russia and the West.
To clarify the Moroccan position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took care to publish a detailed press release in which it recalled the principles of the United Nations Charter. Two ideas are put forward: the Kingdom’s attachment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and the non-use of force as a means of settling disputes between States. sheltered from the global diplomatic divide.
Same attitude observed during the vote of the Resolution of April 6th. The Kingdom has not joined countries that have ardently advocated for Russia’s suspension from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Everything changed in October when Russia announced the annexation of the four regions now controlled by its troops (Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson), but which it now only partially controls. On October 12, Morocco was included in the list of 143 states which condemned Russia’s “so-called illegal referendums” in regions located within Ukraine’s recognized borders and asked it to reconsider its declaration of annexation. A month later, the Kingdom returned to its policy by absenting itself from the vote on Resolution ES-11/5 which called on Russia to pay reparations to Ukraine for the damage inflicted during the war.
However, qualification is a problem. On the official level, Morocco weighs its words and remains faithful to its balanced diplomacy, far from political loquacity. Contacted by us, a diplomatic source said that the Kingdom’s attitude towards the war in Ukraine remains framed and in line with the spirit of the March 2 press release. “The Kingdom was clear in explaining its position to avoid any interpretation”, continues our interlocutor who left it there.
For his part, Emmanuel Dupuy, President of the Institute for Prospective and Security in Europe (IPSE), sees in Morocco’s vote for the departure of Russian troops an “abandonment of the policy of the empty chair”. For his part, Anas Abdoun, Analyst in economic and geopolitical forecasting at Stratas Advisor, thinks that the Kingdom has had enough hindsight, following a year of war in Ukraine, to have its own vision independently of the Russian-Western rivalry. “While the nature of the Resolution is similar to that which was brought to the United Nations General Assembly last year, the military context was different. A year ago, at the start of the war, the two belligerents accused each other of the outbreak of hostilities and it was then not possible, either for Morocco or for the UN, to confirm or deny each accusations”, explains Mr. Abdoun, adding that the nature of the Resolution of March 2, not voted by the Kingdom, “was carried by a block logic”. Our interlocutor is referring here to the West once morest Russia, a confrontation in which Morocco was not found at the time. “However, today, there is the hindsight of the analysis that allows Morocco to vote for this Resolution and the block logic has dissipated, like that of the 16 countries which have reviewed their vote in the light of the facts reported from the field and not as a result of diplomatic negotiations”, concludes Mr. Abdoun.
Moreover, far from the diplomatic arena, Morocco has made gestures that have gone almost unnoticed. The Kingdom, it should be remembered, participated in the Summit of the Defense Advisory Group of Ukraine in April 2022. Represented by the Minister Delegate in charge of National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudiyi, Morocco took part in this Summit organized at the initiative of the United States and which was dedicated to military support for Ukraine.
However, Morocco’s participation, not commented on at the official level, cannot be interpreted as a concrete commitment in favor of Ukraine. In reality, the rumors linked to a possible transfer of T-72 tanks, under renovation, to Ukraine, have been denied following having made the rounds of the media.
Ultimately, Morocco, faithful to its diplomatic balance, remains attached to a peaceful solution while continuing to discuss with Russia as well as with Ukraine. For its part, kyiv, which has just appointed a new ambassador to Rabat, aspires to more dialogue.
Anass MACHLOUKH
