After four years of diplomatic tensions over the human rights situation in Morocco, Amsterdam and Rabat may be on the cusp of opening a new page, following the appointment of Muhammad Basri as the new ambassador of the Kingdom in the Netherlands.
“The appointment of the new ambassador to the Netherlands will contribute to bridging the rift between Rabat and Amsterdam if there is a serious political determination and a responsible vision of the Dutch administration, to upgrade the bilateral relations between the two countries to better levels,” said Hicham Motad, an expert in international relations, in a statement to Hespress.
The crisis between the two countries started when the Dutch Foreign Minister, Steve Blok, submitted an official report to his country’s parliament on the repercussions of the Hoceima protests, condemning the arrests of the movement activists, including Hirak Rif icon Nasser Zefzafi.
The Dutch Supreme Court consequently refused Morocco’s request for extraditing Said Chaou, former Moroccan MP, accused of drug smuggling and sponsoring Rif movements, because he might not benefit from a fair trial in the Kingdom, since his co-defendants were «tortured to confess crimes they didn’t do», according to the court.
The Netherlands’ criticism of Morocco’s human rights situation then pushed Foreign Minister Bourita to summon the European country’s ambassador in the Kingdom, saying “the protests are a national issue.”
A diplomatic challenge awaits the recently appointed ambassador of the Kingdom.
Morocco’s new ambassador in Netherlands Mohamed Basri, started his career in the management field before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where he held several positions.
The ambassador’s new approach may help in bridging the differences between Moroccan officials and their Dutch counterparts in order to overcome the diplomatic stalemate and enhance political cooperation between Rabat and Amsterdam. “Especially that the Netherlands seeks, Years ago, to win over the Moroccan administration for more effective cooperation on the Euro-Mediterranean and African arena,” said Motad.
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