ECOWAS : Morocco’s allies have taken the lead in Abuja

The 52nd ECOWAS Heads of State and Government summit, held on Saturday in Abuja, was concluded without referring to the organization of an extraordinary session for the integration of Morocco. Obviously, the «study on the impact» of Morocco’s membership is preventing the organization's member states from granting the kingdom an official and final OK.

«Regarding the full membership of Morocco in ECOWAS, Tunisia as an observer state and Mauritania as an associate member, the summit set up a committee composed of the Togolese president and his Ivorian, Ghanaian, Guinean and Nigerian counterparts to adopt the terms of reference and study the impact of this membership», said the organization on Sunday in a statement published on its website.

Morocco is reassured

The officials selected to be part of this committee should rather reassure the kingdom. Indeed, Alassane Ouattara, Alpha Condé and to a lesser degree Faure Gnassingbé, are known for being close to Morocco.

Morocco’s memebership is expected to be discussed, in Conakry, by King Mohammed VI and his Guinean counterpart, especially as he is an influential head of state in the region, including the Nigerian President Muhamadu Bouhari. The latter is being criticized and pressured by trade unions, investors and former diplomats because of the Kingdom’s bid to join ECOWAS.

The royal trip to Guinea was, moreover, announced this Sunday by guinea7.com, which quotes Malick Sankhon, director of the National Social Security Fund, considered by media as an «unconditional supporter» of Condé.

Moreover, appointing Jean Claude Brou, the current Ivorian Ministry of Industry and Mines, as chairman of the commission of the Economic Community of West African States, is undoubtedly another positive factor for Morocco.

The Ivorian minister will take office on March the 1st 2018, succeeding Marcel De Souza from Benin. The latter was known for being nearly opposed to Morocco’s wish to be a member of ECOWAS.  

The next ECOWAS summit will be held in June in Lome depending, of course, on the situation in the Togolese streets.