Morocco's Foreign Affairs Minister, Nasser Bourita, met with Malawian counterpart, Nancy Tembo, in Rabat on Thursday. During their discussions, Tembo reiterated Malawi's support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, emphasizing the endorsement of Malawi's President, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who praised the Royal Initiative aimed at enhancing Sahelian states' access to the Atlantic Ocean as a visionary step for intra-African cooperation. Malawi has been at the forefront of supporting Morocco's territorial integrity, being among the first African nations to open a consulate general in Laayoune on July 29, 2021. This move has set a precedent for other Southern African Development Community (SADC) members, traditionally aligned with South Africa and the Polisario Front, to reconsider their stance. Notably, countries like Zambia and Eswatini, which recognize the «SADR», are observing Malawi's lead. Tembo's visit followed closely on the heels of a visit by Gambia's Foreign Affairs Minister, another nation backing Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara. These diplomatic engagements occur as Morocco gears up for the upcoming ordinary summit of the African Union, a crucial event for Moroccan diplomacy, as the country seeks the position of First Vice-Chairman of the African Union Commission.
