Morocco Abruptly Shifts ’African Capital of Culture’ from Marrakech to Rabat

The only explanation provided by the Moroccan authorities for the change of city is that Rabat has "more suitable infrastructure" for the size of the festivities marking the pan-African event "African Capitals of Culture". The launch of the Marrakech 2020 festivities, which were to begin on January 31, 2020 with a grand street cavalcade, is postponed to an undetermined date, because "in Rabat, nothing is ready", according to an anonymous official, quoted by francetvinfo.

"An incomprehensible decision", commented the honorary president of the "Marrakech 2020" committee, the Moroccan painter, Mahi Binebine, on his Facebook page. The artist had participated in mid-January, in Paris, in the official presentation of the event by the pan-African organization United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), which initiated the project. The organizing committee affiliated with UCLG Africa, received on January 20, an official letter requesting the relocation of the event attributed to Marrakech about two years ago, according to this source.

But what happened? Why did the king fly into a rage to the point of causing the relocation of this event? According to the Moroccan press, after a visit to major construction sites underway in Marrakech, Mohammed VI had been dissatisfied with the delay in the execution of the works which, for him, remains an obstacle to many events planned in the ochre city.

The municipality, seizing the opportunity, then announced to the committee its withdrawal in favor of Rabat, the administrative capital, designated by King Mohammed VI as the "cultural capital of the country" several years ago, according to the same source.

"African Capitals of Culture" is a triennial event that aims to place culture at the center of the development policies of cities on the African continent. Rabat will pass the baton to Kigali in 2023.