Musings From Abroad

Morocco, France seal reconciliation with commercial deals

Published

15 hours ago

October 30, 2024

As the two nations end years of diplomatic hostilities, Morocco signed a number of economic agreements during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the country, including an agreement to purchase high-speed trains from the French company Alstom on Monday.

In the last three years, Paris and Rabat have had a tense relationship, particularly because of immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region, which Morocco wants to be recognised as Moroccan by the international world.

Macron paved the way for the reunion in July by supporting Morocco’s stance on Western Sahara after treading carefully to avoid upsetting Morocco’s adversary Algeria. Macron is travelling with about 40 business executives and 12 ministers.

Before the contract signing event at the Moroccan royal palace on Monday, Macron and his wife Brigitte were greeted at the airport by King Mohammed VI, who was walking with a cane in an unusual honour for a foreign visitor.

As Morocco looks to extend an existing line farther south to Marrakech by 2030, Alstom of France and Morocco’s rail operator ONCF struck a deal to purchase 12 high-speed carriages and the option for an additional six.

French energy companies Engie and EDF also inked agreements to grow in the renewable energy space, and TotalEnergies inked a hydrogen agreement, though the exact sum was not immediately made public. Additionally, the shipping corporation CMA CGM revealed plans to invest in a port terminal in Morocco.

Although they did not provide a detailed breakdown, French officials stated that contracts for both parties totalled more than 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion).

Additionally, France hoped the visit would ease tensions surrounding immigration, a contentious subject in France where right-wing groups are pressuring the government to return more undesired migrants to nations like Morocco.

To put pressure on these nations to make it easier for those people to return, Paris decided in 2021 to substantially reduce the number of visas it gives to travellers from North Africa.

Musings From Abroad

Ghana: Ahead of elections, US imposes visa restrictions on those ‘undermining democracy’

Published

2 days ago

October 29, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Ahead of Ghana’s December presidential and legislative elections, the United States, on Monday, unveiled a policy restricting visas for those Washington believes are contributing to the country’s democratic decline.

“This visa restriction policy would apply only to specific individuals who undermine democracy and is not directed at the Ghanaian people nor the government of Ghana,” U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said in a statement.

Ghana’s track record of stability and peaceful elections since switching to multiparty governance in the early 1990s sets it apart from other countries in West Africa.

The nation’s standing as a secure democracy in a turbulent subregion has been emphasised by rising insecurity and democratic backsliding elsewhere in West Africa.

Up until now, the United States and Ghana have maintained cordial ties based on common views on a wide range of foreign policy matters and expanding counterterrorism collaboration.

Musings From Abroad

Why we can’t deploy UN force in Sudan despite grave situation— Guterres

Published

2 days ago

October 29, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, made a plea to the Security Council on Monday to support efforts to safeguard people in war-torn Sudan.

The UN chief, however, stated that the situation was not suitable for the deployment of a UN force.

“The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence — with thousands of civilians killed, and countless others facing unspeakable atrocities, including widespread rape and sexual assaults,” Guterres told the 15-member council.

The war, which is the world’s largest human crisis began in mid-April 2023 when the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces engaged in a power battle ahead of a scheduled handover to a civilian administration.

“Sudan is, once again, rapidly becoming a nightmare of mass ethnic violence,” Guterres warned, alluding to a conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that caused former Sudanese authorities to be charged with crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court around 20 years ago.

The RSF is mostly to blame for the waves of ethnically motivated violence that have resulted from the current conflict. According to activists, the RSF killed at least 124 people in a village in El Gezira State on Friday, making it one of the bloodiest occurrences of the conflict. In the past, the RSF has denied causing harm to civilians in Sudan and blamed renegade actors for the action.

Human rights and Sudanese organisations have called for increased efforts to protect civilians, including the potential use of impartial force. Guterres accepted these requests, stating that they demonstrated “the gravity and urgency of the situation.”

“At present, the conditions do not exist for the successful deployment of a United Nations force to protect civilians in Sudan,” he told the council but added he was ready to discuss other ways to reduce violence and protect civilians.

“This may require new approaches that are adapted to the challenging circumstances of the conflict,” Guterres said.