Zambia has reiterates its support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara after it inaugurated its Consulate in the southern city of Laayoune.
During a joint press briefing following the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Chalwe Lombe stressed Zambia’s “abiding” position regarding Morocco’s right to territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces.
Mr. Lombe considered the diplomatic move a “sovereign act of support and solidarity” towards Morocco on the question of Western Sahara.
Mr Lombe labeled Morocco as “a true friend of Zambia.”
Zambia’s Consulate is the eighth African diplomatic representation to open in the province of Laayoune in one year.
It is the 15th African Consulate in the southern provinces as a whole, as seven others have opened in the city of Dakhla.
Four other African countries opened diplomatic representations in Western Sahara this week alone.
Eswatini opened a consulate general in Laayoune today, while Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Burkina Faso opened embassies in Dakhla on October 23.
The recent inaugurations are part of an expanding recognition within the African continent of Morocco’s territorial integrity.
In 2016, Zambia withdrew its recognition of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), consolidating pro-Morocco momentum on the Western Sahara dispute and boosting the growing ties between the two African nations.
In 2017, Zambia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba, said Zambia supports “the efforts of the United Nations to help the parties find a long-lasting solution to the conflict over the Western Sahara.”
A year later, Joseph Malanji, Zambia’s current Foreign Affairs Minister announced a “decisive break” with the separatist Polisario Front.
Mr. Lombe welcomed Morocco’s support for the training of Zambian students who benefit from scholarships in Morocco.
He went on to recall King Mohammed VI’s 2017 visit to his country.
The productive visit led to the signing of 19 agreements in various fields, including diplomatic consultations, economics, science, technology, education, mining, finance, and tourism, among others, with the aim to increase commercial and cultural exchanges.
Mr. Lombe also commended King Mohammed VI’s medical aid donation amid the COVID-19 crisis to 15 African countries, including Zambia.
The medical shipments included millions of protective face masks, 900,000 visors, 600,000 hygiene caps, 60,000 medical gowns, and tens of thousands of liters of hydroalcoholic gels, along with 75,000 boxes of chloroquine and 15,000 boxes of azithromycin.
KK is stunned by this turn of events. So between summoning people to appear before police and overcharging bail this is all we can do?
Another good reason why WE NEED TO KICK OUT THIS GOVT.NO PRINCIPLES,NO CONSISTENCE IN POLICY IMPLEMENTATION,PUTTING US TO BLANTANT SHAME!!How can a sensible Govt go against AU,SADC positions on Western Sahara??JUST CHECK THE STATUS OF COUNTRIES SUPPORTING MOROCCO,WE DEMOTE OURSELVES TO THAT RANK!!Morocco is NOT an all weather friend,Algeria which supports Polisario in Westen Sahara has been,contributed immensely to African’s liberation struggle!!We are now a laughing stock!
Morocco was ready to open embassy in Barotseland, but these lazy Lozis can’t even identify their headquarters. We all lineup to relocate from Zambia to new country, lazy lazy lozis.
Even if Zambia supported or did not support, Zambia is very insignificant in terms of stamina in the international community. If you are well travelled, you will realise that most people do not even know where this country is, occasionally they can identify IT by the name of KK or Kalusha Bwalya once you mention these,, other than that, it is a complete nonentity – FACT
A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything – Malcom X.
Great stuff. Self determination is what we believe in
I knew it!
Our government can only say certain things when they receive donations or gifts. It seems it’s now a cultural element.
This terrorist funder can do anything to help anyone with hidden agenda.
We know Edgar Lungu as terrorist funder in Rwanda and I don’t this matter has been delt with Paul Kagame.
PF must go!
Does this Moroccan use cheque book diplomacy? We want to know so that we don’t get shocked when we hear that they’ve properties in Morocco. The PF can anything for money, including getting into Avic’s pocket
I have told you before that Lungu was bribed by the Moroccan king. The king personally delivered the 2 million dollar bribe to Lusaka.
Previously we sided with the colonized blacks in Western Sahara and the AU was against their oppressors.
Morocco was told to give these people their independence. Morocco recently embarked on a chequebook diplomatic campaign in which they bribed Zambia Swaziland, Guinea etcetera to stop relations with Polisario. The AU is being bribed to forsake Western Sahara. Lungu has sold out on what Kaunda stood for. Our opposition is silent. All they focus on is election day.
Soon Zambia will be a breeding ground for terrorists, They’ve already started building their training center’s underground, all over Zambia.
Moroccan society generally considers itself as separate from and superior to sub-Saharan Africa. Not all Moroccans are active perpetrators, and not all immigrants are affected equally, but black immigrants have suffered serious abuses by security forces and experience widespread discrimination, racial slurs, and even violence because of their race.