Morocco said it was suspending contact with Germany’s government, citing “deep misunderstandings” over issues of fundamental importance to the kingdom.
The suspension covers the German embassy in Rabat, cooperation agencies and political foundations, according to a Moroccan Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
News of the move didn’t come via official channels: A screenshot of a March 1 letter in which the Moroccan foreign ministry announced the decision to the prime minister and other ministries was leaked to social media. The spokesperson confirmed its authenticity but did not provide any further details.
A spokesman for the German foreign ministry could not immediately comment.
The phrasing used in the announcement usually refers to unfriendly stances or gestures by nations either over Morocco’s claimed sovereignty to the disputed Western Sahara, where tensions have been building in recent months, or to the kingdom’s poor human rights record.
Yet it was unclear what triggered Monday’s letter.
Germany is Morocco’s seventh biggest trade partner. It lent the kingdom around $1.5 billion last year amid the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and its development bank KfW played a key role in financing a massive expansion into renewable energies.
The government in Berlin has also pulled Morocco off a list of countries whose citizens may qualify for political asylum and almost secured the unconditional repatriation of irregular migrants of Moroccan nationality.
Several German political foundations are active in Morocco and some of have run into trouble with authorities due to their perceived endorsement of critics or over the nature of some of their activities.
— With assistance by Birgit Jennen – Bloomberg
