Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita and the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat cut the ribbon on a new traditionally designed Moroccan fountain at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on Thursday, a gift from Morocco to the organization.
The inauguration occurred the opening ceremony of the forty-fourth session of the Executive Council at the 37th AU Summit, attended by African foreign ministers, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, AU Commissioners, senior officials of the AU, as well as members of the diplomatic corps.
Installed in the courtyard of the AU headquarters, the fountain features traditional Moroccan craftsmanship reflecting the beauty of authentic Moroccan mosaic.
Mohammed Kamal Bedraoui, the project engineer, and Zouhair Kabbaj head of Kazo Group, the company responsible for creating the Moroccan work of art, told news agency MAP that through the art of mosaic, Moroccan artisans can create exquisite artistic masterpieces that reflect “unparalleled precision, spatial engineering, and aesthetic beauty.”
The fountain illuminates the origin of this traditional industry, they explained, which is characterized by colorful shapes and materials such as carved wood, sculpted gypsum, engraved copper, perforated and mosaic glass, along with the presence of water.
Placed in front of the Grande Salle Nelson Mandela and connected to solar panels powering batteries independent from the electric grid, the fountain stands out also for its use of renewable energy.