Morocco has once again joined the African Union bloc after a long absence since 1984 when the country left to protest seating of the Polisario Front as representatives of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
Morocco considers SADR as its part. The territory is a former Spanish colony and located in the western part of the Sahara. It has disputed the position of Morocco and still it remains unresolved, even after thirty years.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco said on the occasion of rejoining AU at a summit in Ethiopia’s Addis-Ababa, “When a body is sick, it is treated more effectively from the inside than from the outside.”
Morocco has lately expanded economic ties with several countries in Africa and now looked as successfully leveraged the economy weight into being reinstated to the African bloc.
Morocco-based think tank, Institut Amadeus, said they are Arabs, but also Berbers as well as Maghrebi.
Its founder and president Brahim Fassi Fihri added they may have left the bloc, but they never left Africa.
Fihri was referring the multicultural identity of Morocco which is mostly made up of ethnic groups like Maghrebi and Berber.
Royal Air Maroc, the national carrier of the country meanwhile maintained regular schedule to West Africa even during the Ebola outbreak some two years ago when other carriers suspended flights to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The Royal Air Maroc spokesman said their decision was based on humanitarian grounds that reflects constant commitment of Morocco to Africa.
