Morocco vehemently denounced, on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, any support for separatist and terrorist movements during a session of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
During a meeting addressing “Enhancing Mechanisms to Combat the Exploitation of Natural Resources by Armed and Terrorist Groups”, Mohamed Arrouchi, Morocco’s ambassador and permanent representative to the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa, highlighted the causal relationship between natural resource exploitation and security dynamics in Africa. He stressed the illicit activities’ role in empowering armed and criminal groups, with severe consequences for the stability of affected nations.
Mr. Arrouchi underscored how armed and terrorist groups exploit the absence of state authority to consolidate their control over territories, thereby violating the territorial integrity of nations. He also expressed concerns over the increasingly alarming link between terrorism and separatism, which magnifies threats across the African continent.
The Moroccan diplomat criticized authoritarian regimes that fuel separatist movements to advance destabilizing agendas. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy intertwining peace, security, and development to address the illegal exploitation of natural resources effectively.
Finally, Mr. Arrouchi called for strengthening mechanisms to counter armed groups’ resource exploitation and maintaining African nations’ territorial and national cohesion.
