Morocco claims that 40 countries support its return to the African Union

The Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, has claimed that 40 African countries have pledged to back Morocco’s bid to rejoin the African Union as a fully-fledged member.

Morocco’s request to rejoin the African Union (AU) after 32 years of a “vacant seat” policy is a natural step to take, which consecrates a long and deep process of close political, economic and cultural relations with Sub-Saharan African countries, Mr Mezouar underscored.

For numerous reasons, he added that “many view and analyze this decision as a strategic move not only for Morocco, but also for the future of African cohesion”, as he put it.

Earlier, a senior African official reportedly asserted that Morocco has won the necessary votes to secure its return to the African Union (AU).

He said that Morocco’s return to the AU has become inevitable, as it has secured the necessary votes from the majority of African countries.

He affirmed in a press conference during preparations for the Africa-France summit in Bamako (Mali) last  weekend, “Morocco has ensured its integration into the African Union, even before its ordinary summit in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)” scheduled to be held on January 27-28.

Morocco, withdrew from the Pan African organization in 1984 after its members largely approved the membership of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).