Crown Prince Mohammed enthroned as King of Morocco

Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed of Morocco has been enthroned as the country's leader following the death of his father King Hassan. An official statement said the King would be buried in Rabat tomorrow following afternoon prayers, apparently to allow time for foreign leaders to pay their respects. 40 days of mourning have been delcared in Morocco.

King Hassan died last night following a heart attack. He was 70 and had ruled the country for 38 years - the longest serving Arab monarch. President Mary McAleese sent her condolences, and praised the King's role in the Middle East peace process and his efforts to bring his country closer to the EU. Neither the President nor Minister of Foreign Affairs David Andrews will attend the funeral. Ireland will be represented by the Ambassador to Portugal, John Campbell.

The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan also expressed his condolences to the people of Morocco on behalf of the United Nations. In a statement, Mr Annan said that King Hassan had been a leader who had brought his people into the modern age and provided stability and prosperity to a turbulent region. "By serving as a bridge of peace between different nations and cultures, King Hassan made Morocco itself a bridge of understanding and co-operation between Europe and Africa, North and South, East and West," he said.

One of the problems facing the new 36-year-old King will be the long running dispute to establish sovereignty over the southern territory of western Sahara. A UN plan to resolve the issue through referendum has been stalled for several years and observers believe the poll may never happen. Neither Morocco nor its enemies in the Polisario front - who want independence for Western Sahara - are likely to allow a referendum unless they are certain of winning.