Ecowas agrees to admit Morocco to West African body
West African regional group Ecowas has in principle approved Morocco's membership application despite the country being in North Africa.
But Ecowas leaders meeting in Liberia said the implications of its membership still needed to be considered before Morocco could formally join.
King Mohammed VI was not at the summit because Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been invited.
Morocco's application comes after it rejoined the African Union in January.
Morocco left the continental body in 1984 after it recognised the independence of Western Sahara.
Morocco regards Western Sahara as part of its historic territory and has spent much of the last three decades trying to strengthen ties with Europe at the expense of relations with Africa.
vory Coast President Alasanne Ouattara has confirmed that the decision had been agreed in principle but the details still had to be worked out.
Morocco, along with Tunisia which is seeking observer status with the organisation and Mauritania, which wants to return to the body, will be invited to the next meeting of heads of state in Togo in December, a senior Ecowas source told the BBC.
'I believe in Africa'
Ecowas is made up of 15 West African nations, none of which shares a border with Morocco.
Members enjoy free trade and movement of people.
King Mohammed VI last week announced he would not be attending the summit in Liberia, because of the presence of Israel's prime minister.
Morocco does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.
Mr Netanyahu addressed West African leaders on Sunday saying: "Israel is coming back to Africa and Africa is coming back to Israel.
"I believe in Africa. I believe in its potential, present and future. It is a continent on the rise."
This trip comes nearly a year after Mr Netanyahu was in East Africa as part of his efforts to strengthen ties between the continent and Israel.
ECOWAS gives greenlight to Morocco’s membership application
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given its agreement in principle to Morocco’s request to join the regional grouping.
This was highlighted in the final communiqué of the 51st Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
Leaders of West Africa agreed in principle for the accession of the North African country to join the bloc given the strong and multidimensional ties of cooperation.
However, the implications of its membership still needed to be considered before Morocco could formally join.
King Mohamed VI had been due to attend the ECOWAS summit in Monrovia on Saturday and Sunday which Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended, but cancelled the visit.
Morocco’s application comes after it rejoined the African Union in January.
Ecowas is made up of 15 West African nations, none of which shares a border with Morocco.
This is the 4th thread on this. Hopefully this one lasts. As I've stated previously this will lead to a weakened ecowas. Doesn't make sense to exclude chad and accept these guys.
I mean, you don't like it for racial reasons... but at the end ECOWAS, will become the biggest economy in the continant, the most influential diplomatically, the biggest military and the most integrated... All the countries in ECOWAS will benefit from that...
Ecowas is already the biggest economy on the continent. My opposition is racial if you meant anti racists like you Moroccans. You're writing about a region you don't even know about. That somehow Morocco will make it the biggest economy when it already is. You haven't developed your country but you'll perform magic in ecowas ?
^^ No generalizations please. This message is meant for all northwest Africans. There are from both sides good and bad persons. Generalizing, especially when insulting, was one of the major reasons why previous threads about this topic were closed...
well then the poster needs to stop with the nonsense of how morocco will make ecowas this or that. largest economy? its already been so and for a while already
its largest attraction isnt its economy but its political power anyway
From the BBC article, I believe that an interesting line has been erased.
"I believe in Africa. I believe in its potential, present and future. It is a continent on the rise." While in Liberia for the summit, his bodyguards scuffled with those of Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe, according to reports in the Israeli media.
This trip comes nearly a year after Mr Netanyahu was in East Africa as part of his efforts to strengthen ties between the continent and Israel.
Sounds like a NY mob conclave, the jewish family gatecrashing the meeting. Only Don Corleone-Bouteflika in his wheelchair can bring the families together.
From the BBC article, I believe that an interesting line has been erased.
Sounds like a NY mob conclave, the jewish family gatecrashing the meeting. Only Don Corleone-Bouteflika in his wheelchair can bring the families together.
ekema I wish you can ask somebody to translate this to you. this is from last week.
this Nigerian Imam/ doctor teach in Nigerian university gave the history of Morocco Nigerian fpr the last 1000 years till the last century befor the European occupation. he use documentation and books names and all the detail and documentations that any researcher can get access to.
it's very informative.
I posted the video because most Moroccans here don't know all those details.
All those things exist in the eu. And it's already applied in ecowas. France will never control the currency. Anyway it's better countries like Morocco Mauritania and Cape Verde are removed anyway. Having them in is dangerous with their mentality
^^
Repeating a lie many times does not make it true.
Ekema, which metality are you talking about? Both the former and the current government want to stay, i'd say that most of people just con't care, some wants to sta and some don't. i don't represent them, only myself.
So, you all base your stance in a wikpedia article full of "citation needed" remarks, :lol:
Recently, Cape Verde has been distancing itself from its regional African partners[citation needed] and forging closer ties with the EU. In a move signaling its preparation to loosen ties with the West African regional bloc,[citation needed] the government of Cape Verde in September 2006 declared its intentions on suspending the ECOWAS free movement of goods and trade. Prime Minister José Maria Neves announced that his country will start imposing restrictions on the entrance of citizens from all ECOWAS member states. The Cape Verde government soon will present ECOWAS with proposals for "special status" instead of full membership.[9] This is also an effort to limit the recent rise of illegal immigration of other West African nationals using Cape Verde and its proximity to the Canary Islands as a springboard towards Europe. Cape Verde is also a member of the Generalised System of Preferences with further incentives for good governance (GSP+).[clarification needed]
Morocco might be signing a death warrant though. Being in Ecowas means Ecowas states can enter at will. If people trying to springboard into europe was and issue (and it might not be, idk) then, RIP Morocco.
Who cares? Algeria isn't in ECOWAS!
We didn't have problems with Mali when they had a civil war, I think we can mange open borders with Gambia, Liberia or Cape Verde...
Anyways, that's a moroccan problem not an ECOWAS problem...
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