Countries targeted by Morocco’s diplomatic note: Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Comoros, Djibouti, Niger, Mali, Eritrea, Gambia, Burundi, DRC, Congo, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea (Host Country of the Summit), Chad, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mauritania (Holding the Presidency of the AU Council).
In the inner workings of international diplomacy, influence is often measured by the yardstick of persuasion, economic weight, or strategic alliances. However, official documents emanating from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco shed a harsh light on much less orthodox methods. Through a strategic memo dated June 2014, orchestrated under the leadership of Ouali Taghma — then described as « Mr. Africa » within the ministry —, an entire scheme centered on buying influence within the African Union (AU) is brought to light.
The central objective of the mission
Neutralize any inclination to support the Polisario Front and the right to self-determination of Western Sahara, counter UN Resolution 2152, and safeguard Rabat’s interests on African soil by relying on direct financial levers.
A targeted mission in Addis Ababa: Objectives and means
Entitled « Fact Sheet on the Mission to Addis Ababa » and covering the period from June 4 to 10, 2014, the memo details the deployment of a high-level Moroccan delegation including notably the Director for Africa, the Inspector General, the Director of United Nations Affairs, the Director General of AMCI, as well as the Chief of Staff to the Minister Delegate.
The stated purpose of this mission was the « Mobilization of Ambassador Representatives of friendly countries. » Behind this sanitized phrasing lies an aggressive strategy aimed at thwarting any decision contrary to the UN process and maintaining active connivance with allied delegations. To achieve this, the means deployed were not limited to traditional diplomatic receptions:
« Full coverage of hotel expenses. Allowance for general expenses: rental of one or two vehicles, lunches….. »
The heart of the scandal: 5,000 euros per ambassador for 30 targeted countries
The most compromising point of this action plan lies in the direct allocation of cash to accredited diplomatic representatives. An explicit addendum details the existence of « Individual allowances of 5,000 Euros for friends whose list is attached (30 countries). »
This targeted distribution of funds was ostensibly aimed at securing the goodwill or favorable vote of the diplomats concerned during arbitrations within the pan-African organization. The list of the thirty targeted States reflects the scale of the influence-peddling mechanism deployed by Rabat to lock down its diplomatic positions:
Countries targeted by Morocco’s diplomatic note:
Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Comoros, Djibouti, Niger, Mali, Eritrea, Gambia, Burundi, DRC, Congo, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea (Host Country of the Summit), Chad, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mauritania (Holding the Presidency of the AU Council).
Geopolitical implications and impact on African sovereignty
The existence of this memo raises fundamental questions about the integrity of decision-making processes within international and regional bodies. By instrumentalizing the financial precariousness of certain States or the venality of certain representatives, Morocco has institutionalized a genuine checkbook diplomacy.
This active corruption strategy highlights the colossal challenges facing the African Union regarding the governance and independence of its members. While the Western Sahara dossier remains one of the continent’s oldest decolonization crises, these revelations demonstrate that the diplomatic battle is fought not only on the terrain of international law, but also behind the opaque scenes of highly condemnable financial transactions.
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