Last year, relations between Rabat and Berlin were on the verge of breaking down. The reason: The Moroccan government was enraged by the federal government’s refusal to recognize Moroccan claims to or sovereignty over Western Sahara.
That was exactly what the then US President Donald Trump (76) had done shortly before, triggering a storm of jubilation in Rabat.
The new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (41, Greens) did not break with the policies of her predecessor Heiko Maas (55, SPD). However, the Foreign Office stated that the Moroccan autonomy plan might be an “important contribution” to solving the conflict, which was well received in Rabat.
Now she flew there. On the plane (A340 with more than 50 delegation members, security guards and journalists) – unlike the trip to Canada by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (64, SPD) with Economics Minister Robert Habeck (52, Greens) – there was a strict FFP2 mask requirement. Despite the need for a PCR test (max. 24 hours old).
Why Germany is trying to get Morocco
There are currently at least three reasons for German efforts to win Morocco’s favor:
▶ ︎On the one hand, Morocco is considered an anchor of stability: unlike in other Arab states, there have been no major social upheavals here despite serious social grievances. Instead, the state reacted with a constitutional amendment and cautious reforms.
Baerbock met her counterpart Nasser Bourita (r.)
︎ Second, the EU wants to continue using Morocco as a rigid border guard once morest migrants from Africa. Again and once more people try to get to the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and thus to Europe via Morocco. Two months ago, nearly 40 people were killed in clashes with security forces on the Melilla border. According to reports in the Spanish media, the EU wants to make almost half a billion euros available to the Moroccan royal family for the next few years to further secure the border.
▶︎ Thirdly, Morocco is perhaps the most important partner for the production of green hydrogen, the Greens’ favorite energy. And: Morocco might become by far the largest supplier of phosphate (important for fertilizer production) for Europe if Russia once once more suspends its deliveries, as happened last winter.
Mausoleum visit cancelled
According to BILD information, a visit to Baerbock in the mausoleum of Mohammed V was originally planned. Hassan II, father of the current King Mohammed VI, is also buried there. But the appointment does not take place.
Visiting the mausoleum is common on state visits and was also planned for Baerbock’s trip. However, since the mausoleum is attached to a mosque, women are expected to wear a headscarf.
Baerbock decided not to visit the mausoleum
Instead of visiting the mausoleum, following meeting her counterpart Nasser Bourita, Baerbock flies further south to Agadir, where she visits the Fikralabs IT training project.
Also on the agenda: the Russian influence in Africa. With relatively few Russian mercenaries in Mali, the Kremlin managed to press the federal government to discuss withdrawing the Bundeswehr mission. Two weeks ago, Defense Minister Lambrecht suspended the Bundeswehr’s operations for the UN mission Minusma because Russian mercenaries at Gao Airport, with government approval, are disrupting the Bundeswehr’s logistics.
“We must not abandon Mali to Russia!”
Russia’s attempts to stir up chaos in Mali and other Central African states and to provoke refugee crises are aimed at Europe, but would also affect Morocco as a transit country. Moscow had already used the refugee crisis as a weapon once morest the EU in 2015, now the destabilization of African states is a means of hitting Europe for supporting Ukraine.
This is probably one of the reasons why Baerbock and her counterpart Bourita jointly declared “their deep concern at the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in view of the worsening of the global food crisis, which is further exacerbating the already tense situation with regard to global food security”.
Baerbock then became even clearer: “We must not leave Mali to Russia!” Although it will become even more difficult in the near future, Baerbock warned that something must be done to counter Russian attempts to influence the situation.