PUSL.- On january 2021, two tweets of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Burundi were published in its official account where the Ministry announced the closure of its consulate in El Aaiun as well as the embassies in Ottawa (Canada) and Brasilia (Brazil).
While the closure of the Embassies was justified as part of the rationalization of expenditure in the External Service the closure of the consulate in El Aaiun was attribitued to strategic reasons & reciprocity. We note that the tweet says explicitly “Consulate General in Laayoune in Morocco” while El Aaiun is not a part of the Moroccan Kingdom but a part of Western Sahara illegaly and militarly occupied by Morocco, a non autonomous territory in the list of the 4th Committee of the United Nations.
In february 2020 Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita chaired the inauguration ceremony with his counterpart Ezechiel Nibigira.
The opening of Burundi’s consulate was another violation of international law and a desperte attempt by Morocco to pretend that the occupation of Western Sahara is legal.
Burundi’s consulate in El Aaiun did not stay open not even for 12 months.
Tweets:
@MAEBurundi
As part of the rationalization of expenditure in the External Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Development Cooperation has decided to close two Embassies (Ottawa & Brasilia) & a Consulate General in Laayoune in Morocco for strategic reasons & reciprocity
Dans le cadre de la rationalisation des dépenses au Service Extérieur, le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères&de la Coopération au Développement a décidé de fermer deux Ambassades(Ottawa&Brasilia) &un Consulat Général à Laayoune au Maroc pour des raisons stratégiques&de réciprocité
— MAECD (@MAEBurundi) January 21, 2021
@MAEBurundi
Canada and Brazil will be diplomatically covered by the Embassy of #Burundi in Washington. Our Embassy in Rabat in Morocco will remain functional and in return Burundi expects the opening of an embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Burundi with residence in Bujumbura.
Le Canada et le Brésil seront diplomatiquement couverts par l’Ambassade du #Burundi à Washington.Notre Ambassade à Rabat au Maroc restera fonctionnelle et en retour le Burundi s’attend à l’ouverture d’une ambassade du Royaume du Maroc au Burundi avec résidence à Bujumbura.
— MAECD (@MAEBurundi) January 21, 2021
