- This should not be allowed because it can’t work
Over a century after the liberation of the African continent from colonial bondage, it is unfortunate that Morocco continues to annex and exercise forcible control of Western Sahara, thus thwarting the legitimate desire of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) for sovereign independent statehood. Morocco persists in its obstinacy despite the recognition and legitimisation of the SADR’s aspiration both by the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
Indeed, in 1984, Morocco had withdrawn from the then Organization of African Unity (OAU) in protest against the admission of the SADR as a member of the continental body. It was only in January this year that she was re-admitted into the AU, even though Morocco continues its unjustified and unacceptable subjugation of the SADR.
Perhaps buoyed by its re-entry into the AU, Morocco has sought admission to become a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) through an application submitted to the 51st ordinary session of ECOWAS Heads of State in Monrovia, Liberia, on June 4, 2017. Despite the reported informal support for the application by some ECOWAS member states, Morocco’s request has been forwarded to the ECOWAS Commission for consideration and advice within the context of the provisions of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993. The commission’s counsel will be deliberated upon for necessary action at the 52nd Summit of the organisation slated for Lome, Togo, in December.
Although the Nigerian government has not issued any public statement on the matter for understandable diplomatic reasons, we fully endorse authoritative indications that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is firmly opposed to Morocco’s bid to become a member of ECOWAS. Interestingly, under Buhari as military Head of State in 1984, Nigeria had given strong support to the admission of the SADR as a member of the OAU. It is thus his historic responsibility as civilian President today to ensure that Nigeria’s immense influence in West Africa is deployed to prevent Morocco’s suspicious and mischievous move.
For reasons clearly articulated in a report to Nigeria’s foreign minister, Mr. Godfrey Onyeama, by the influential Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN), with over 200 retired career ambassadors as members, the admission of Morocco into ECOWAS could have very serious negative political and legal repercussions for the organisation. In the first place, Morocco is located geographically in North Africa and not West Africa as defined by the requisite international legal instruments. Thus, Morocco is already a member of both the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) of North Africa, and indeed serves as its headquarters, as well as the Arab League. These bodies provide Morocco sufficient opportunities to promote her economic interests with no pressing necessity to join ECOWAS, especially since, in any case, she already has bilateral relations with many of the latter’s member states.
We equally agree with the position of ARCAN that Morocco’s admittance into ECOWAS will vitiate the Abuja Treaty of 1993, which discourages African states belonging to two or more regional communities as such multiple membership could jeopardise the ultimate objective of regional and economic integration. Beyond this, granting Morocco’s request will necessarily involve complicated legal processes and most likely controversial constitutional changes to the organisation’s founding instruments that may polarise ECOWAS and fracture its unity.
Also crucially at issue is Morocco’s continued exploitation of the SADR’s rich deposits of phosphates and other natural resources, which the UN has declared illegal. Morocco should not be allowed to utilise membership of ECOWAS to surreptitiously undermine international consensus against this injustice. As ARCAN has wisely advised, Nigeria should continue to maintain harmonious economic and cultural relations with Morocco without compromising her opposition to the North African country’s bid to become what would be a clearly incongruous member of ECOWAS.
