In contrast to many Foreign Ministers and Heads of State, Catherine Colonna, French Foreign minister, failed to offer her country’s condolences to Morocco over the earthquake during her speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday in New York.
During the 78th edition of the UN General Assembly taking place from September 19 to October 26, many countries offered condolences to Morocco, but the French representative did not comment upon the matter.
In a speech to a small audience on Thursday evening, Minister Colonna addressed the issues of climate change and nutrition. She also outlined how France is seeking to improve the “situation in Africa” referring to anti-French protests related to recent coups in several African nations.
French-Moroccan diplomatic relations have been notably strained lately. Colonna told French news outlet LCI last Friday that King Mohammed VI had invited President Macron to make a State Visit. In response, a Moroccan government source told MAP, the official Moroccan news agency, that such a visit “is not on the agenda and is not scheduled…[The FM] gave herself the freedom to make an announcement concerning an important bilateral [matter]”.
Colonna’s interview comes amid inflammatory comments made by several French media outlets, criticizing Morocco’s rejection of aid and relief from France, following September 8 earthquake. The Kingdom initially accepted aid from the UK, Qatar, the UAE, and Spain.
French media has criticized Morocco, its King, and its institutions in its coverage of the earthquake, and at least one French media company was accused of publishing fake news and unauthorized pictures on its site for purposes of sensationalism.
Morocco has also accused French television media of trying to trap Moroccan speakers in televised interviews, including journalist Samira Sitaïl, French-Moroccan politician Rachida Dati, and comedian Gad Elmaleh.
Morocco’s Press Council (CNP) sent a complaint to the French Council on Journalistic Ethics and Mediation (CDJM) concerning publications by French media outlets Charlie Hebdo and La Libération.