Though a peace agreement hasn’t been reached thus far, current talks between the Malian government and armed groups have been facilitated by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI — who over the weekend ended a five-day visit in Bamako, the Malian capital. According to a press release of the Malian government, the two countries signed 17 agreements for economic and development projects — including a cement factory in the outskirts of Bamako.
“Peace talks between government and armed rebel groups are taking place in Bamako partly due to the international community request. But Morocco is having a key role in that negotiation process,” Sidy Sangho, a member of the war-stressed Northern Mali Songhai community told AFKInsider.
Early Morocco-Mali Peace Planning
Prior to the ongoing talks in early February, Bilal Ag Cherif, the head of ethnic Tuareg’s secular movement MNLA, was received in Rabat by the Moroccan leader who announced his will to work for peace settlement in Mali.
The international community hopes this will definitely help end violence as the talks taking place in Mali, in accordance with authorities, will. According to Romano Prodi, the UN special envoy to The Sahel region, who also visited Mali, a peace agreement with the militia is necessary for long term stability in Mali.
The preliminary agreement signed in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, between the armed groups and the government allowed organizing presidential and parliamentary elections last July and October. Meanwhile, it failed according to Sangho, as the militia hasn’t been disarmed and quartered in conformity with the scheme.
Morocco, Mali and Algeria
Local media in Mali describe the visit of king Mohammed VI as geostrategic progress for Morocco, as Algeria, its regional rival, also attempts to resume peace talks in Mali.
“Malian authorities need both Morocco and Algeria. Let’s remember that Algeria facilitated all the peace agreements since there have been repetitive rebellions in the North from 1960 to 2006,” Sangho added.
Beyond political reasons, Morocco also has important economic interests to defend in Mali, where investment opportunities exist. In the Malian capital, a meeting was organized on February 19 between Malian businessmen and delegates of investors accompanying the king of Morocco.
“It is a good thing to organize such a meeting between businessmen from the two countries. As representatives of business organizations, we have information about investment opportunities in Mali; and we will do our best to help those who would like to request our help,” Tieni Konate, the head of Mali Chamber of commerce and industry told AFKInsider.
Widespread Investment and Religious Influence
While investors try to benefit from the opportunity offered by the authorities, the souvenir of regional instability and the Malian Islamist invasion couldn’t be forgotten.
“We are facing yet [again] security challenges, but authorities inspire trust now. Last year, at this same period, Malian economic operators were in uncertainty due to the insecurity existing throughout the country,” said Mamadou Sidibe, the president of the Malian employers’ council.
According to Meriem Shuqrib, the head of the Moroccan Employers’ Council, Mali which is hopefully backing to stability needs economic reforms that interest international investors.
“Like Morocco, the Malian economy’s performance is based on agriculture. The Moroccan private sector that has 40 years of experience can take part to those reforms,” she said.
Mali’s first private investors from Morocco came in 1989 under the dictatorial regime of General Moussa Traore, two years before the country’s transition towards democracy. Since that date, the economic relationship between the two countries is made of technology transfer, according to Moussa Diallo, the head of Malian Banks Association.
Fighting poverty and creating job opportunities for Malian youngsters are among the priorities of the Moroccan banks that contribute to finance local economy. Authman Benjalloun, the Moroccan banks’ representative, said 53 percent of Malian banks are owned by investors from his country and the opportunities for expansion exist.
The threat of religious violence is yet a challenge for Malian authorities who are also relying on Moroccan tolerance-based Muslim tradition of Malekism, hoping to put an end to the progress of radical Islam militancy in Mali.
“Mali is sharing centuries of common Islamic history based on non-violence that authorities want to preserve. About 500 Malian Imams are learning in Morocco how to preach without violence,” said Tierno Thiam, a Malian Muslim preacher.
Historical links have existed between the two countries since the early moments of Islamic expansion in Africa. According to Thiam, many families of the fabulous city of Timbuktu in the North of Mali are Morocco Arabs’ offspring.