Tags : Morocco, African Union, Western Sahara, SADR, bribes, corruption, hacker Chris Coleman, Senegal, Mankeur Ndiaye,
RABAT – Scandals involving the Makhzen regime continue to emerge, following the publication of a correspondence from the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealing one of Rabat’s methods for violating international legality and legitimizing its occupation of Western Sahara through the payment of bribes in Africa.
According to an official document leaked on social media from the Moroccan Embassy in Dakar, former Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye received a sum of money each year at the Moroccan embassy in Senegal as a thank-you for his cooperation with the Makhzen authorities.
The document’s content reveals the Moroccan regime’s attempts and methods to negotiate the Western Sahara issue with certain countries and parties that did not hesitate to violate international laws, particularly those stipulated in the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), including announcing the opening of consulates in the occupied Sahrawi territories.
In a letter dated September 9, 2014, addressed to the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Moroccan Ambassador to Dakar Taleb Berrada assured that he had « personally handed » the Senegalese Minister a sum of money to cover the pilgrimage expenses to Mecca for three individuals proposed by the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
« I have the honor to inform you that I personally handed over to the Senegalese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Mr. Mankeur Ndiaye, the amount of 140,784.00 dirhams, or 8,224,754 CFA francs (approximately 12,500 euros), which you kindly made available to cover the pilgrimage expenses to Mecca for three people, » wrote the ambassador, concluding that the Senegalese minister « expressed his gratitude for this gesture, which allowed him to cover the expenses for three pilgrims. »
« Colossal » Bribes to Join the AU
Morocco’s return to the African Union 30 years later was the result of a lobbying policy, where a large-scale corruption campaign was its cornerstone.
According to revelations made by documents posted online by the French hacker known as Chris Coleman, and reported on the Morroccomail website, « colossal » bribes were paid to African diplomats to allow Morocco to join the AU.
In leaked emails, Moha Ouali Tagma, Director of African Affairs at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time, informed in a note sent on May 5, 2014, to his superior, the head of Moroccan diplomacy, about his action plan, including « proposals for the preparations undertaken for the upcoming AU Summit » held in Addis Ababa.
He suggested giving « individual envelopes of 5,000 euros to each +friend+,” listing the « friends » who represent the delegations of certain countries.
In another note dated June 4, 2014, Moha Ouali Tagma proposed giving 2,500 dollars to Jean-Baptiste Natama from Burkina Faso, the former chief of staff of the AU Commission Chairperson, to encourage him to continue working with the Makhzen.
« Morocco thus bought a seat at the African Union through the weapon of corruption. The supposed economic development for the welfare of the African nation is merely a smokescreen in Morocco’s main agenda, obstructing the AU’s growing role in organizing a referendum on self-determination for Western Sahara, » writes the same source.
« Morocco’s accession to the AU is rather a change in tactics, trying to use the organization for its goal of neutralizing Western Sahara from within the AU, » it added.
Despite its blatant violation of the objectives of the AU Constitutive Act, which demands « respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of its member states, » « respect for the borders of independence, » and « prohibition of the use of force or threat of force between AU member states, » Morocco militarily occupies Western Sahara, a full member of the AU.
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