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King Mohammed VI

RABAT. – Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said on Sunday that the country is ready to mediate the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Gulf countries. “If the parties wish, the Kingdom of Morocco is ready to offer its good offices with a view to fostering a frank and comprehensive dialogue on the basis of non-interference in internal affairs, the fight against religious extremism, clarity in positions and loyalty in commitments,” the ministry said in a statement.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has maintained close and permanent contact with the parties concerned, according to the statement.

“Due to the strong personal ties of sincere fraternity and mutual consideration between King Mohammed VI and his brotherly kings and emirs of the Gulf countries, and taking into account the genuine strategic partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Morocco has avoided public and hasty statements which only deepen discord,” it added.

The king has called on all parties to show restraint and act wisely to reduce tension to finally address the causes of the crisis, in accordance with the spirit which has always prevailed within the GCC, the statement noted.

Meanwhile, thousands of Moroccans led by an Islamist movement rallied in the capital Rabat on Sunday in a massive show of support for protests against corruption and official abuses in a northern region that have tested authorities for weeks.

Chanting against “ruling mafia” and carrying portraits of detained activists, protesters packed Rabat’s Bab El Hed area and marched toward the parliament, with most from the Adl Wal Ihsan (Justice and Spirituality) Islamist movement.

Political unrest is rare in the North African kingdom but protests around northern city Al-Hoceima since October have been the largest since the 2011 “Arab Spring”-inspired rallies that prompted the king to cede some powers.

The participation of Justice and Spirituality is significant. A major player in the 2011 protests, the movement is banned from formal politics, but is the only opposition group able to mobilise on a massive scale. – Xinhua/Reuters.