Morocco announced the recall of its ambassador to Berlin for consultation, denouncing in an official statement the “hostile acts” of Germany, in particular on the Western Sahara issue.
” The Federal Republic of Germany has multiplied hostile acts and actions that are detrimental to the higher interests of the kingdom, ” said the press release issued by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The text denounces, in particular, the “ antagonistic activism ” of Berlin after the American recognition of the sovereignty of Morocco on this territory disputed by the separatists of the Polisario Front.
Rabat had decided in early March to ” suspend all contact ” with the German embassy in Morocco, because of ” deep misunderstandings ” with Berlin on various issues, including the question of Western Sahara. At the time, Berlin tried to clarify things but all bilateral activities have stalled since.
The press release also mentions ” the continued determination (of Germany) to fight Morocco’s regional role, especially on the Libyan issue.” Rabat was not invited to participate in the negotiations on the future of Libya held in Berlin in January 2020.
Morocco finally accuses the German authorities of ” complicity with regard to a former convict for terrorist acts, in particular by disclosing to him sensitive information communicated by the Moroccan security services.”
The official statement does not mention a name but it is probably Mohamed Hajib, a German-Moroccan sentenced in 2010 in Morocco to 10 years imprisonment for ” terrorism “, a sentence reduced to five years in early 2012. Back in Germany, this forty-something regularly publishes critical attacks on his native country on social networks.
At the end of 2020, Berlin released an envelope of 1.387 billion euros in financial support, including 202.6 million euros in the form of grants, the rest in the form of subsidized loans, in support of the reforms of the Moroccan financial system and in emergency aid for the fight against Covid-19.
Germany is one of Morocco’s leading trading partners, with 1.9 billion euros in exports and 1.3 billion euros in imports in 2020, down compared to 2019 due to the covid pandemic. 19, according to official figures.
