MAROCCO – A DIFFICULT RETURN TO THE AFRICAN UNION. PART I: IN SEARCH FOR A WAY

Abstract

Morocco – one of the main African countries – for 33 years remained outside the most important continental institution, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), and since 2002 outside the African Union (AU). It happened to be detrimental not only for Morocco, but also for regional and continental cooperation. The reason for this was the Western Sahara, which Morocco decided to include in its state as a collective path. The UN, OAA and almost half of the world – and above all Algeria – have opposed this violent act by legally acknowledging the existence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) established by the POLISARIO Front.
When this new state was admitted to the OAU in 1984, King Morocco – trying to blackmail this intention – withdrew his country from it. It did not bring the expected results, and another failure of Morocco was also that no country in the world recognized the Western Sahara annexation. However, wanting to have an impact on events in Africa, after more than three decades of absence, he decided to return to AU, seeking a way back that would not only be effective, but also acceptable for most members of the AU. Thus, using the diplomatic skills of King Mohammed VI and the economic resources of the state, the Moroccan authorities – agreed with the presence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in AU – asked for readmission to the continental organization.