Morocco has expanded ties with other African football confederations in recent years, helping those in conflict by offering training or stadiums for World Cup qualifying matches, with the aim of increasing its influence in Africa and beyond. Is.
The immediate goal may be to win support for hosting soccer tournaments, but foreign policy professor Atiq Esaid said soft power tactics were also part of Rabat’s bid to win supporters in the Western Sahara dispute, which underlies much of its diplomacy. Was.
Essay, who works at Hassan II University in Casablanca, described the sport’s success as “an instrument of popular diplomacy”.
diplomatic toolbox
The African Union recognized Western Sahara as a member in 1984 – when it was called the Organization of African Unity – prompting Morocco to leave. It reconnected in 2017 and has since been deepening ties across the continent.
Morocco, one of Africa’s most industrialized economies with close ties to the European market, has used trade as a major diplomatic tool. State-owned OCP, one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, has invested in projects across Africa alongside Moroccan banks and other companies.
Rabat has offered visa-free entry for citizens of some African states and has brought thousands of religious students from West Africa to study at madrassas associated with Sufi Muslim shrines, which have large regional followings.
A former Moroccan diplomat said, “Morocco’s comprehensive African policy combines economic, cultural, humanitarian, security and religious dimensions.”