Malawi will open embassy in Morocco this month—Mkaka

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka says Malawi will this month open an embassy in Rabat, Morocco as a gesture of reciprocity.

Speaking in Lilongwe on Monday evening during the Moroccan Embassy’s commemoration of Morocco’s Green March, the former minister of Foreign Affairs said the opening of the mission follows Morocco’s launch of a full embassy in Lilongwe.

Said Mkaka: “Of course, there is already a consulate which is part of the Western Sahara, but this month Malawi is opening a fully-fledged embassy in Rabat.”

In July 2021, during his visit to Morocco, Mkaka told the media about Malawi’s decision to open a consulate in Laayoune as well as establish a fully-fledged embassy in Rabat.

Besides Mkaka and diplomats, also in attendance were three Cabinet ministers, namely Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Michael Usi, Minister of Youth and Sports Uchizi Mkandawire and Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daudi.

However, it was not clear in what capacity Mkaka was making the announcement as he is neither a Cabinet minister nor was he delegated by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo.

Reacting to the post on Nation Publications Limited Facebook page, readers also queried why Mkaka, a political party representative, was making an official announcement when Cabinet ministers were present.

But head of Morocco’s mission in Malawi Abdelkader Naji justified the decision to have the MCP secretary general as the main speaker, saying: “This is not a national day where you would expect the President or his delegate to attend.”

The Green March is a popular peaceful march in 1975 of 350 000 Moroccans in support of the country’s annexation of Spanish Sahara.