By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Khalid Akhsas, Chargé d’Affaires and Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker of Parliament, on Monday 2 June 2025 Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, to discuss strengthening diplomatic relations and to call for public support from Sierra Leone for the United Kingdom’s recent endorsement of Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal under Moroccan sovereignty.
During the meeting, Akhsas urged Speaker Thomas to publicly recognize and commend the UK’s decision, which was formalized in a Joint communiqué signed in Rabat by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Morocco’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita. The communiqué backs Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara region, marking the UK as the third permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to do so.
This is a major diplomatic milestone, Akhsas stated. Support from a permanent member of the Security Council significantly reinforces the legitimacy and global acceptance of Morocco’s autonomy plan.
He emphasized that the UK’s position aligns with international efforts to resolve the long-standing regional dispute and complements Sierra Leone’s own stance, noting that the West African country opened a consulate general in Dakhla in 2021 as a show of support for Moroccan sovereignty.
Akhsas described the growing international recognition of Morocco’s proposal as a sign that the time is ripe for a lasting resolution and durable peace in the region; we also discussed opportunities for cooperation, including potential training programs for Sierra Leonean parliamentary staff.
In his response, Speaker Thomas warmly welcomed the Moroccan diplomat and commended the United Kingdom’s decision to back Morocco’s autonomy initiative. He described the move as bold and constructive and expressed appreciation for Morocco’s continued engagement with Sierra Leone, especially in capacity-building efforts.
I acknowledge and appreciate the strategic value of the UK’s support for Morocco’s proposal and the diplomatic maturity demonstrated by Morocco, the Speaker remarked. He also expressed enthusiasm for the proposed training opportunities for parliamentary staff, describing them as a welcome initiative for institutional development, the visit marks another chapter in the growing diplomatic and parliamentary ties between Morocco and Sierra Leone.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, June 4TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
