HIBAPRESS
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, confirmed on Monday, April 20 in Rabat, that the credibility of any electoral process cannot be fully guaranteed if it excludes a part of the population.
Bourita explained, in his opening speech at the fifth training session for election observers belonging to the African Union, which he chaired alongside the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, that "our women, our youth, and people with disabilities – all these voices must be present, not as a matter of symbolic commitment, but because their inclusion is a guarantee of excellence and legitimacy." The minister added that "the strength of this session lies in its ability to reflect the reality of our societies," considering that the opening of this fifth edition embodies "the resilience of a vision and the maturity of a continental ambition," and indicates the passing of half a decade of the exemplary partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the African Union. He highlighted that this "session continues to work for a stable, peaceful Africa, holding its destiny firmly," in line with the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God protect him. Bourita stressed that this session "stems from a deep and firm conviction," that "African democracy will only be established if it is carried by African hands, trained, independent, and fully committed." In this context, he praised the personal commitment and leadership of Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, who formed the cornerstone of the success of this partnership. On the other hand, the minister mentioned that nearly 400 observers had been trained in Rabat, from 53 countries on the continent and representing the five African regions, including 65 percent women and 85 percent youth. In the face of emerging threats in the digital age, particularly "deep fakes," algorithmic misinformation, and the misuse of artificial intelligence, Bourita emphasized the need to adapt and anticipate risks, with the aim of providing African observers with the tools needed to overcome these challenges. He also pointed out that the third edition of the "Dialogue Forum on Democracy and Elections in Africa," organized in partnership with the "Policy Center for the New South," comes to enrich this technical training with an intellectual and geopolitical perspective, under the slogan "Digitalization of Democracy: Artificial Intelligence Strategies Led by Youth in a Changing World."
