Tags: Morocco, Western Sahara, African Union, European Union, EU-AU Summit, African partnerships, Polisario Front, Nicholas Westcott.

At the Afro-European summit held on April 2nd and 3rd, 2014 in Brussels, Morocco succeeded in excluding the « Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic » from this event thanks to the complicity of the English diplomat Nicholas Westcott, Director General for Africa of the European External Action Service at the time. Details in this email from Moha Ouali Tagma, director of the Africa Department of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Fwd: EU/Africa Summit

Sent: Thursday, April 3rd, 2014 7:11 PM

To: Lotfi Bouchaara; Bourita; Mohammed Sitri

Subject: EU/Africa Summit

It is an honor to bring to your attention that our country has once again succeeded in thwarting the maneuvers of the African Union and its adversaries, primarily South Africa, by managing to prevent the EU/Africa Summit from becoming an EU/AU Summit. Our adversaries were able during the preparatory process in Addis Ababa to impose their views. They even adopted a resolution within the Corep demanding that the EU invite all AU member countries without distinction, otherwise, they would cancel the Summit. The EU resisted thanks to various steps taken with the DG Africa Wescott.

It took a major battle here in Brussels to straighten everything out. This has been largely done. This is reflected in the Final Declaration as well as in the roadmap.

Our delegation was thus able to have the Cairo Format reaffirmed as the fundamental basis of this partnership (African countries recognized by the United Nations). The partnership is now definitively EU/Africa (AU countries minus the fictitious entity plus Morocco).

Our delegation also succeeded in introducing the sub-regional approach into the partnership.

The declaration on migration and mobility also incorporates aspects of the Moroccan doctrine concerning migration.

It can be said that the Brussels Summit marks a turning point by definitively shielding this Partnership from any attempt to introduce the so-called entity into it.

It will still be necessary to restore order in Addis and elsewhere to protect ourselves against adverse maneuvers that have become regular and determined. Brussels was a victory for Morocco and a resounding failure for Zuma.

High consideration,
Tagma

Nicholas Westcott had been contacted a few days earlier by Menouar Alem, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the European Union. According to Westcott, the SADR was part of the EU-AU summit Steering Committee. « The Steering Committee, » he said, « was established by the African Union from the beginning of the process, and he is unable to refuse any representative from the African side. However, he clearly indicated that the representatives of the SADR entity will in no way be granted a specially reserved place or any indication referring to it. » Instead, they will be absorbed into the African delegation. « Which is what actually happened at all previous follow-up and sector meetings, including those in Cairo (information confirmed by the Egyptian Chargé d’Affaires), » the Moroccan ambassador states in a report on the matter.

« In this regard, it should be emphasized that Morocco will be invited to take part in this Steering Committee meeting, » Menouar indicated.

« Regarding the exchange I had, in private, with Mr. Westcott, he informed me that although he cannot prevent the presence at the meeting of a member of the Polisario, who would be included in the AU delegation, knowing that the fictitious entity is a member of the AU Committee on Multilateral Affairs, he reaffirmed to me that any reference to its representativeness is totally excluded, » he added.

« He also expressed his surprise in this regard that Morocco, which was moreover within its rights, did not request to be part of the Drafting Committee, which would have allowed it to be informed, in real-time, of the discussions of the various documents that will be adopted at the next Summit and to contribute to them, » he specified.

« To conclude, I would like to emphasize that I had the feeling of being completely disarmed due to the lack of responsiveness and the total absence of Moroccan contribution to the preparation of the various documents that will be submitted to the Summit, » he concluded.

Immediately after the Summit, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) distributed the following note:

15/04/2025

To: The Director-General of Studies and Documentation

Subject: Africa-EU Partnership.

The participation of our country in the 4th Africa-EU Summit, held in Brussels on April 2nd and 3rd, 2014, allowed for the formal and express endorsement of the provision relating to the « Cairo Format » concerning the modalities and mechanisms of this partnership.

The immediate consequence of this achievement is a complete overhaul of all the mechanisms and instruments of the Africa-EU partnership, in the sense that all « summits, ministerial meetings, joint meetings of the two Commissions, as well as joint meetings between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the European Union Political and Security Committee will continue within the framework of the format agreed for the Africa-EU partnership at the Cairo Summit. »

Morocco having been active throughout the 2010-2013 action plan, in the areas of climate change, human rights, and immigration, this contribution is now called upon to be used to consider a substantial contribution from our country to the 2014-2017 Roadmap, attached in annex, as well as the Political Declaration.

Indeed, our country has been very active in proposing its vision for the partnership concerning all the priority areas identified under the Joint Strategy for the period 2014-2017, this partnership, including:

-Peace and security
-Democracy, good governance and human rights
-Human development
-Sustainable and inclusive development and growth and continental integration
-Global and emerging issues

The Ambassadors of His Majesty the King in Africa and Europe have been invited to initiate steps to relay, to the capitals concerned, the achievements of our country and the gains obtained during this Summit and to reiterate, at the same time, the commitment, always held, by Morocco in this framework.

Also, your Department is requested to contribute, in a substantial way, in the field of its usual competences for the formulation of all ideas and proposals that can contribute to the development of projects that fit with the Africa-EU partnership Roadmap.

In operational terms, it has been agreed with the officials of the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the European Union Commission, to hold a working meeting, in our country, to present to them the Moroccan contribution, in the form of sectoral Concept Notes, which will be the subject of discussions and exchanges for the purpose of finalization and presentation as actions of the Africa-EU partnership.

An interdepartmental brainstorming meeting will be held beforehand, within this Department, on a date that will be communicated to you in due course and to which you are cordially invited to be represented.

Source documents :

Documents source :

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