The celebration of Rabat, capital of African culture, was officially launched at a press conference organized on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP), in the presence of the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid.
Initiated under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VsI, the launch of the program for this event, which takes place from June 2022 to May 2023, was given in the presence of the Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi and the mayor of Rabat, Asmaa Rhlalou.
Speaking on this occasion, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid affirmed that the granting of the Royal High Patronage to this cultural event testifies to the particular interest that King Mohammed VI has for the cultural issue, recalling that in His speech addressed to the sixth European Union Summit ( EU)-African Union (AU), the King indicated that “education, culture, professional training, mobility and migration: these are the priorities of Our action: in Morocco, in Africa”.
The minister added that the Sovereign had kindly baptized in 2014, Rabat, city of lights and cultural capital of Morocco, a city rich in cultural facilities and infrastructure thanks to the enlightened Royal Vision and royal projects aimed at achieving urban development, culture and tourism of the capital of the Kingdom.
Rabat lives to the rhythm of important cultural events that carry the African dimension, thus reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to work for the African continent, he said, noting that the 27th International Publishing and Book Fair ( SIEL) will be inaugurated on Thursday with African literature as the guest of honor of this edition.
Several activities are on the menu for this event (literature, poetry, visual arts, music, theatre, cinema, street arts, dance, digital arts, fashion shows, photography, popular arts, etc.), he said. , adding that these activities will be organized in all historical spaces, public squares and all districts of the city of Rabat, with the participation of cultural actors from civil society and the various national public institutions concerned with culture.
Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid indicated that this cultural event, which strengthens the Kingdom’s positioning on the continental scale, benefits from significant and continuous support from several partners, in particular UCLG Africa and the Wilaya of the Region of Rabat-Salé. -Kenitra.
For her part, the mayor of Rabat, Asmaa Rhlalou stressed that the holding of this continental event is in line with the High Royal Guidelines aimed at integrating culture into development projects, noting that a set of cultural projects which was born in Rabat, will inevitably contribute to its cultural influence. Something embodying the Royal Will to make the capital a world civilizational and cultural pole.
According to the regional manager, this event will work to make Rabat the embodiment of the richness of Moroccan cultural heritage in addition to making it a global platform for promoting the values of coexistence and dialogue between cultures.
For his part, Mr. Mbassi considered that the program of celebrations in Rabat, capital of African culture, will contribute to promoting African culture as a pillar of the development of the continent, considering that these celebrations of African culture are of great importance. for Morocco, Africa and the world.
The Committee of African Capitals of Culture officially announced in February 2020 the selection of Rabat as African Capital of Culture for 2022-2023.
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