“Mali relies on friendly countries such as Morocco for the continuation of its reconstruction and stabilization process,” Mali’s Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga said a few weeks after the definitive rupture with Algeria.
Maïga had declared in March that Algeria is no longer involved in inter-Malian mediation as it had welcomed Malian opposition figure Imam Mahmoud Dicko during the inauguration of the grand mosque in Algiers. As a consequence, Malian authorities had terminated the Algeria-brokered accord of peace signed back in 2015 with Tuareg rebels.
During a meeting with the Moroccan delegation participating in Mali’s week of expert surveyors held from April 18-20, in which Morocco was the guest of honor, Maïga noted that Morocco is “a brotherly and friendly country” with which Mali maintains specific and historical relations.
He praised Morocco’s continuous support for Mali, stating that Rabat has always worked to stabilize the situation in Mali.
“Given the historical relations, Morocco appears as a neighboring country to Mali. It is therefore a sponsor, brother, and friend,” Maïga stated, adding that citizens of both countries must have an awareness of the specificity of the relations between Morocco and Mali.
Maïga also highlighted that the Kingdom is a preferred destination for Malians.
Recalling the historical nature of Moroccan-Malian cooperation, he noted that the Mohammed VI Perinatal Clinic in Bamako, inaugurated in July 2022, is a model of cooperation, highlighting the efforts made by Moroccan doctors to share knowledge with their Malian counterparts.
The Moroccan delegation includes Ambassador of Morocco to Mali Driss Isbayene, and President of the National Order of Surveying Engineers Khalid Yousfi.