Morocco excluded after attack on Sahara delegate

A major diplomatic incident occurred during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in 2024, which resulted in the exclusion of the Moroccan delegation. The violent attack by members of the Moroccan delegation on Sahrawi representatives shocked the international community and raised questions about Morocco’s commitment to diplomatic norms.

this Tokyo Conference (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) is a leading diplomatic forum initiated by the Government of Japan in 1993. Held every three years, the platform brings together African leaders, international development partners including the United Nations, the World Bank and various civil society organizations. Its aim is to promote high-level dialogue on African development, focusing on economic assistance, private sector investment and political governance.

It is against this backdrop that unacceptable acts of violence took place today. A representative of the Frente Polisario, who took his seat at the conference with the support of the Algerian delegation, provoked a strong reaction from the Moroccan delegation. While Japan may have questioned his invitation, the personal attacks that followed could never be justified, especially in a forum dedicated to cooperation and peaceful development.

Morocco crosses diplomatic red line

The attack by the Moroccan delegate on the Saharawi delegate was unanimously condemned by participants and organizers. Such behavior is totally inappropriate within the framework of international diplomacy and reveals a blatant disregard for the principles of dialogue and mutual respect that are at the heart of such events.

It is important to emphasize that despite Morocco’s doubts, The status of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is supported by the United NationsThis recognition guarantees diplomatic treatment of its representatives, regardless of existing political disputes. Western Sahara has also participated in successive TICAD meetings. It is recorded that during the last Tunis summit, Morocco left the forum precisely to protest against the official presence of the Sarahoui representative.

They pretended that he was the man ordered to invade Algeria and openly ridiculed him, but the facts put all doubts to rest. pic.twitter.com/Gy2Zj4ggZ6

– In (@volvicmagic) August 23, 2024

Morocco’s diplomatic image suffers a severe blow

Faced with this unacceptable behavior, the organizers of the Tokyo Conference on African Development immediately took the decision to exclude the Moroccan delegation from the conference. This extraordinary measure highlights the seriousness of the incident and sends a clear message about the consequences of such behavior in an international forum.

This incident dealt a serious blow to my country’s diplomatic reputation. MoroccoThis raises questions about the country’s ability to peacefully handle disputes in international forums and could have implications for its future diplomatic relations.