Moroccan king opens Ivory Coast mosque
Morocco’s king, Mohammed VI, opened the Ivory Coast’s largest mosque, maintaining the long-established Abidjan-Rabat relations, according to The Associated Press.
After seven years of construction, the Moroccan-sponsored mosque welcomed worshipers to attend the dedication and prayers on 5th April.
King Mohammed’s presence was regarded as an “act of generosity, of faith, but also an act of deep love for Ivory Coast, the Ivorian people,” stated mosque attendee, Maurice Toikeuss.
READ: Boar’s head found at French mosque
“Relations between Ivory Coast and Morocco date back 60 years,” Morocco’s ambassador to the Ivory Coast said at the opening ceremony.
Morocco’s majesty has maintained a close relationship with Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, gifting the West African country multiple investments to upkeep Moroccan influence and stability as other former French colonies such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Guinea have experienced military coups in recent years.
In 2015, Morocco and the Ivory Coast cemented relations, signing several cooperation agreements to enhance the economic relations between the two countries, the North African Post reported.
Around 40% of Ivory Coast’s population is Muslim, which is significantly smaller than Morocco’s Muslim population of around 99%, as estimated by the US government.
Morocco’s largest mosque, the Hassan II in Casablanca (formerly known as Africa’s largest mosque) lost its continental title to the Great Mosque of Algiers in 2019 upon its construction.
However, the Great Mosque and its $898 million exterior with a prayer room capacity of 120,000 people faced criticism from many Algerian citizens who would rather have seen four new hospitals built across the country.
AP/NAP
