Washington, DC — Presidents Charles Taylor of Liberia, Lansana Conté of Guinea and Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone are holding talks in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, to discuss the intertwined conflicts that afflict their countries. The three leaders were intending to hold a summit in January, brokered by the Mano River Women's Association but the outbreak of fighting in Liberia led to its cancellation, with Charles Taylor accusing Conakry of supporting the LURD rebels. Wednesday's summit in Rabat, chaired by Morocco's King Mohammed VI, was preceded by a foreign ministers meeting. Mohamed Kairat, a journalist with Al-Ittihad Al-Ichtiraki, a daily newspaper owned by the ruling Socialist Union for Popular Forces (USFP) told allAfrica.com he expects the summit to yield positive results
What are the main issues these leaders are discussing in Rabat?
Until this afternoon, there wasn't a specific agenda for the summit which aims to bring about reconciliation in West Africa. But it is very likely the summit will deal with the issue of re-activating the Mano River Union, in addition to economic integration in the region, as part of efforts to form regional economic groupings capable of dealing with the challenges of globalisation.
Several mediation efforts, including some by Libya's Colonel Muammar Al-Gaddafi, failed in the past to bring these three West African Presidents together. Until very recently President Lansana Conte has refused even to sit down with Charles Taylor, let alone, conclude an agreement with him. What has enabled Rabat to succeed where others have failed?
First of all, there are objective reasons. Conflicts in the region have lasted far too long and everybody is tired of fighting. They have even become forgotten, despite the huge problems they have caused. On the other hand, there has been a revival of Moroccan diplomacy recently. If we look at the moves of the Moroccan government over the past two to three years, we can see contacts with the region have been intensified in recent years, whether in the form of trips by Moroccan officials to various West African capitals or visits to Morocco by delegations from those capitals. The most prominent of those trips were King Mohammed's visits to Mauritania and Senegal. The Rabat-Noukchott-Dakar axis is a major development in the whole West Africa region.
But what exactly made Lansana Conté more willing to meet Charles Taylor this time?
There has been a lot of 'discreet' diplomacy in recent months. Several contacts have taken place without being reported in the press. Lansana Conté despatched an envoy to Morocco and Conté himself visited the King last summer. Charles Taylor's spokesman and roving ambassador also visited Morocco early in January. The Moroccan Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, El Fassi El Fihri, has travelled in the West Africa region. So all these efforts, made out of the limelight, convinced Conté he should attend this summit, which could yield some positive results.
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Is there any chance that the three leaders might agree on a lasting cessation of hostilities in the region and on ending support for each other's rebel groups?
It is premature to talk about that but the general atmosphere in Rabat and the first echoes we got from the preparatory foreign ministers meeting indicate that the issues at hand are being dealt with in a constructive spirit. The parties are convinced it has become necessary for each party to stop supporting the other party's opposition and to find a solution to the plight of refugees and to look ahead to the future. That is the real challenge facing the region.
What's in all this for Morocco?
Don't forget that Morocco is a founding member of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and an active member in the African Union. Although Morocco has specific problems with the OAU, and Algeria in particular [over the Western Sahara issue], its African orientation has become clearer through the strengthening of its now excellent relations with Mauritania and its historic ties with Senegal. As I said earlier, the Rabat-Nouakchott-Senegal axis is an extension into the region. From Morocco's perspective, this African orientation highlights its firm African roots, hence Rabat's efforts to promote integration in this huge region, rich in resources.
