عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Morocco Welcomes Positive Statements of New German Government

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch (MAP)
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch (MAP)
TT
TT

Morocco Welcomes Positive Statements of New German Government

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch (MAP)
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch (MAP)

Morocco has welcomed the positive statements and constructive stances recently expressed by the new Federal Government of Germany.

In a statement, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said that it welcomed the "positive statements...which bode well for a resumption of bilateral cooperation and a return to normalcy in the work of diplomatic representations of the two countries in Berlin and Rabat".

"The Kingdom of Morocco hopes that actions will back these statements up to reflect a new state of mind and mark a new beginning in the relationship based on clarity and mutual respect."

In March, Rabat suspended contacts with the German embassy over "deep misunderstandings" on "issues fundamental for Morocco." It ordered all government departments and bodies to abstain from cooperating with the German mission and political organizations.

In May, it recalled its ambassador for consultations and accused Germany of unspecified "antagonistic activism" after the United States in December 2020 recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the territory.

"The Federal Republic of Germany exacerbated hostile acts that are detrimental to the higher interests of the Kingdom of Morocco," read the statement.

The same statement added that the "German authorities act with complicity towards an individual formerly convicted of acts of terror, by disclosing sensitive information communicated by the Moroccan security services to their German counterparts."

The statement referred to radical Islamist Mohamed Hajib, a former detainee who spent seven years in prison on terrorism cases. Hajib is a German national and currently resides in Germany.

Berlin rejected Rabat's request to extradite Hajib through Interpol.

In January, Germany excluded Morocco from attending Berlin Conference on Libya.

The Ministry stressed that Morocco has always been at the forefront of international efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis, questioning Berlin's decision.

Later, Morocco rejected the invitation to participate in the Berlin II Conference on Libya, held in October.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

HRW: Both Warring Parties in Sudan Acquired New Weapons

Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

HRW: Both Warring Parties in Sudan Acquired New Weapons

Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)

Both warring parties in Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have newly acquired modern foreign-made weapons and military equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on Monday.

It called on the UN Security Council to renew and expand the arms embargo and its restrictions on the Darfur region to all of Sudan and hold violators to account.

HRW said it analyzed 49 photos and videos, most apparently filmed by fighters from both sides, posted on the social media platforms Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, and X, showing weapons used or captured in the conflict.

The apparently new equipment includes armed drones, drone jammers, anti-tank guided missiles, truck-mounted multi-barrel rocket launchers, and mortar munitions, and are produced by companies registered in China, Iran, Russia and Serbia.

Although HRW did not specify how the warring parties acquired the new equipment, it noted that the Sudan conflict is one of the world’s worst humanitarian and human rights crises.

“The warring parties are committing atrocities with impunity, and the newly acquired weapons and equipment are likely to be used in the commission of further crimes,” it said.

HRW warned that the SAF and the RSF may use such weapons and equipment to continue to commit war crimes and other serious human rights violations not just in Darfur, but across the country.

It said the UN Security Council is expected to decide on September 11 whether to renew the Sudan sanctions regime, which prohibits the transfer of military equipment to the Darfur region.

The organization noted that since April 2023, the new conflict has affected most of Sudan’s states, but Security Council members have yet to take steps to expand the arms embargo to the whole country.

HRW said its findings demonstrate both the inadequacy of the current Darfur-only embargo and the grave risks posed by the acquisition of new weapons by the warring parties.

“A countrywide arms embargo would contribute to addressing these issues by facilitating the monitoring of transfers to Darfur and preventing the legal acquisition of weapons for use in other parts of Sudan,” it stressed.

The NGO said that the Sudanese government has opposed an expansion of the arms embargo and in recent months has lobbied members of the Security Council to end the sanctions regime and remove the Darfur embargo altogether.

“The prevalence of atrocities by the warring parties creates a real risk that weapons or equipment acquired by the parties would most likely be used to perpetuate serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, harming civilians,” HRW wrote in its report.

It therefore called on the Security Council to publicly condemn individual governments that are violating the existing arms embargo on Darfur and take urgently needed measures to sanction individuals and entities that are violating the embargo.