Mubasher: South Africa and Morocco will resume diplomatic relations more than a decade after Morocco withdrew its ambassador from Pretoria, according to South African President Jacob Zuma.

“Morocco is an African nation and we need to have relations with them,” Zuma told the newspaper City Press, as quoted by Reuters on Sunday.

In 2004, Morocco recalled its ambassador from South Africa after former president Thabo Mbeki recognized the disputed Western Sahara.

Last week, King Mohammed VI of Morocco met with the President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, on the sidelines of an African Union-European Union (EU) summit.

“Even if we differ on the Western Sahara issue, the two countries should have a relationship,” Zuma added.