AU-PSC: Morocco Slams Support for Separatist, Terrorist Movements

In an AU meeting held on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Morocco firmly condemned any support for separatist and terrorist movements. The Kingdom, represented by its Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, highlighted the clear link between the illegal exploitation of natural resources and security dynamics in Africa.

Speaking before AU’s Peace and Security Council (PSC), Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, emphasized the role of illicit activities related to these resources in bolstering the capacities of armed and criminal groups, with dangerous repercussions on the stability of affected countries.

The Moroccan diplomat further noted that armed and terrorist groups thrive in areas where state authority is absent and aim to seize control of territories where they operate, thereby violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. He underscored the alarming trend in the terrorism-separatism nexus, which amplifies the threat looming over the continent on a daily basis.

Arrouchi also condemned the threats to state stability, which are not only posed by terrorist and separatist armed groups but also by belligerent policies of authoritarian regimes. These regimes seek to create, mobilize, and support separatist movements to serve insidious destabilizing agendas, driven by outdated and regressive ideologies.

Such actions blatantly violate the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of states, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and instruments of the Pan-African Institution.

“While the success of any strategy to combat the illegal exploitation of natural resources by separatist and terrorist armed groups depends on the effective mobilization of our security capacities, it also hinges on leveraging development and community resilience. Hence, the relevance of adopting a holistic approach based on the peace, security, and development nexus,” he stated.

He further reiterated the need to minimize vulnerabilities and maintain collective cohesion with unwavering determination to preserve the stability, national unity, and territorial integrity of African states.

Calling for strengthened mechanisms to combat the exploitation of natural resources by armed and terrorist groups in Africa, Arrouchi emphasized their role in preserving the stability and national unity of African states. He also highlighted the importance of effectively combating cooperation and links between terrorists, other criminals, and separatist movements tied to transnational organized crime.