Moroccan-African cooperation increased, despite withdrawal from OAU
Morocco-North Africa, Politics, 6/8/1998

King Hassan II said that Moroccan-African cooperation increased despite Morocco's withdrawal from the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

Since the Kingdom left the OAU in the mid-1980's, "Morocco has never had such a high level of cooperation with African countries, regardless of the regions to which they belong", King Hassan II told Burkina Faso's media on the eve of the opening of the 34th OAU summit in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

On the possible role that Morocco can play at the African level, King Hassan II said that thanks to its location as a "geographic crossroads", Morocco can easily monitor a certain number of currents, thoughts, ways of life, conviviality and associations. "In all modesty, I think that with this very potential, Morocco can perhaps play a role," he explained.

"In view of the problems of globalization and exchanges of all kinds, we cannot serve as a bridge. However, we can serve as a bridge at the human level," because, "We are above all tolerant," he said.

"It would be too pretentious on our part to seek to impose our model on others," King Hassan II said, adding that it would be in Morocco's interest to look at some countries that are not as blessed by nature, to "see how certain countries managed to overcome a number of problems."

To a question on the success of Morocco's political, economic and social policy, the king said, "This success is perfectly relative", and "should not push us to forget that there is yet much to be done."

He recalled, in this regard, the problems facing Morocco, including climatic hazards, unemployment, an education sector that is still in quest for its identity, delays at the technological, economic and industrial scales, Map reported.

"There is yet much work to be done and I would not impose Morocco as a model for African nor for any other countries", he said, adding "each country has its own genius, population, spirit and way to react".

To a question whether Morocco is oriented towards Europe more than towards Africa, King Hassan II said, "One should never sell his spirit to the devil." The Moroccan spirit is not European. It is rather Arab-African and has an Islamic-African culture, he said.

Morocco's orientation towards Europe is only normal, it is a sign of reasonable ambition, will and competitiveness, he said.

King Hassan II voiced hope that, in a dangerously changing world, Africa would decide during the Ouagadougou summit how to deal with these problems. "There should be decisions that are flexible and adaptable" to each country, each region according to its commerce, resources, neighbors and geographic location," he added.

King Hassan II said that apart from the problems in central Africa and the Great Lakes region, there is a kind of peace in the African continent. "States stabilized, regimes settled, African countries set themselves to work, and diversified and competent elites started to see the light of day in large numbers," the sovereign said.

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