By Manal El Warraky
Former Foreign Minister, Mohamed Benaissa, passed away last Friday evening at the age of 88 after suffering from illness.
Moroccan King Mohammed VI mourned the deceased in a telegram of condolences and sympathy sent to the family of the deceased, who previously held the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Culture,
in which he said: “We received with deep sorrow and grief the death of our earthly servant, Mohamed Benaissa, who answered the call of his Lord in these virtuous days, after a long journey of fruitful national giving, in a firm adherence to the nation’s constants and sanctities and a firm loyalty to the glorious Alawite throne.”
The deceased was known for his love and appreciation for Egypt and its people, as he completed his secondary education in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, and studied journalism for one year at Cairo University, which made him imbued with the love of the Egyptian people and one of Egypt’s loyal friends.
A significant development was recorded in Moroccan-Egyptian relations at various levels during his tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was also known for his interest in Egyptian culture and his love for its thinkers and intellectuals, as he used to invite dozens of Egyptian figures every year to participate in the Asilah International Cultural Festival, which became a parallel cultural, political and diplomatic platform that attracted African and international voices to support the issues of Morocco and the region.
The deceased maintained a distinguished personal relationship and friendship with senior Egyptian statesmen, and was keen to visit and meet them every year, including the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa.
The deceased is described as one of the Moroccan statesmen who held ministerial and diplomatic responsibilities, some of which were delicate and sensitive, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2007, and the Ministry of Culture between 1985 and 1992. He was also appointed Ambassador of Morocco to Washington from 1993 to 1999, and Information Attaché at the Moroccan Mission to the United Nations between 1963 and 1965, then worked in the United Nations Information Department and the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. He also joined the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) where he held the positions of Regional Information Adviser for Africa, Head of the Communications Section in Rome, and then Director of the Organization’s Information Department. In 1975, he became Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations World Food Conference.
