Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, reiterated the kingdom’s commitment to the success of electoral processes all across Africa at the opening of the third Specialized Training for African Union Election Observers in Rabat on Tuesday.
Co-chaired by Morocco’s FM and Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the training brought together 74 participants from 45 African countries to discuss political affairs, peace, and security.
Bourita expressed Morocco’s willingness to provide highly skilled and qualified election observers to enhance democracy in Africa and highlighted the importance of training to support electoral processes on the continent.
He referenced King Mohammed VI’s speech at the 28th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa in 2017 touting African countries’ ability to validate their own electoral processes and carry out the free choices of their citizens.
“Africa can and should independently validate its electoral processes,” the sovereign said. “Africa has regulatory tools and judicial institutions such as Constitutional Councils and Supreme Courts capable of adjudicating electoral disputes and appeals.”
Bourita highlighted the importance of including women and youth who made up half of the attendees, which he said is an “optimistic sign,” particularly as there are 19 elections in Africa in 2024, including 11 presidential elections.
Morocco is the first African country to conduct election observer training in Africa. Overall, 155 African observers have been trained so far, contributing to the development of a continent-wide database.
The program was created at the request of the African Union Conference of Heads of State and Government. At the most recent summit held in February 2024, Morocco was urged to continue enhancing African capabilities and promoting the professional conduct of election observer missions.
The training program aligns with Morocco’s strategic objectives, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, to strengthen governance and democratic practices in Africa, and to create a stable, peaceful, and prosperous continent. The training runs from April 29 to May 3.