Photo Credit: The Maghreb Daily
King of Morocco Mohammed VI visited President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday. According to Vish Sakthivel, of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, it comes at a particularly opportune time to repair recent damage to the diplomatic relationship between the nations. Sakthivel suggests, following U.S. support for a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Western Sahara and Secretary John Kerry’s recent cancellation to visit Morocco, this visit will be a chance for Obama to challenge the prevailing mindset that “Washington chases crises, spends more time negotiating with enemies, and takes the friendship with Morocco for granted.” Morocco has long held good relationships with Israel and Saudi Arabia and Anouar Boukhars, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues, ”Morocco is trying to put it out there, we are an asset… If you want an interlocutor, then the king can be useful.” The two heads of state are set to discuss how they can work together to meet the economic security problems that confront the Middle East and North Africa.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Morocco announced they signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch USAID’s new Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for Morocco. This strategy consists of a five-year plan “designed to support Morocco’s efforts to enhance the employability of its youth, increase its citizens’ participation in governance, and improve the quality of primary education.”
Amnesty International called for President Obama to use the meeting as an opportunity to urge the King “to scrap laws which see women and girls forced to marry their rapists, and teenagers facing jail for kissing in a public place.” Amnesty added that even after amending its constitution, the Kingdom of Morocco still suffers from a multitude of human rights violations. Reporters Without Borders also asked for President Obama to pressure the King on media freedom, and to raise the case of Ali Anouzla, the editor of Lakome, who was arrested in September on charges of providing “material assistance” to a terrorist organization.