Marrakech Conference: Five African Nations Join Proliferation Security Initiative against WMDs

In a landmark announcement in Marrakech, five African nations officially declared their membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). The announcement followed a political conference dedicated to the initiative, jointly organized by Morocco and the United States. The inclusion of Zambia, Ghana, Togo, Equatorial Guinea, and Benin brings the total number of African countries participating in the initiative to 11, marking an impressive 80% increase. Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, and Nigeria have also expressed their intent to join the initiative in the near future. During the conference, several African nations commended Morocco for its concrete and pragmatic contributions, specifically targeting the enhancement of South-South cooperation and the development of African national capacities in technical, security, and operational domains, all aimed at combating the proliferation of WMDs. The Marrakech Conference witnessed an unprecedented participation of 25 African countries, representing diverse regions of the continent. Attendees included foreign ministers, deputy ministers, secretaries of state, general secretaries, ambassador directors, as well as numerous national and international experts. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), launched in 2003, is a multilateral cooperation framework with the primary objective of combating the illicit trafficking of Weapons of Mass Destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials.