Morocco refuses to return to African Union

Moroccan minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Saad Eddin Osmani said: "Morocco refuses to return to the African Union as long as the regional organisation includes the Polisario Front.” Osmani made this statement during a meeting in Rabat on the occasion of  Africa Day, during which a group of African accredited ambassadors in Rabat appealed to Morocco to return to the African Union, reminding the Kingdom that it was one of its founders. Osmani said during a press conference, that the return of Morocco to the African Union depends on several conditions: "The Kingdom of Morocco cannot accept under any circumstances to be treated as a fake state that does not exist on the map, is not internationally recognised. and is not a member of the United Nations" the minister said. The foreign minister reaffirmed Morocco's support for a “strong and developed Africa", emphasising that Morocco’s absence from the African Union is offset by its active presence on the continent of Africa. He said:"Morocco is the second investor in the African continent after South Africa. Moroccan public and private companies are present in a number of countries and in many sectors, banks, telecommunications, transportation, mining and others.” Ismaila Nimaga, ambassador of the Central African Republic in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and dean of ambassadors of the African Group, during the opening of a conference held in celebration of Africa Day under the theme "regional integration and the role of youth" renewed his request on behalf of the group, for the return of the Kingdom of Morocco to the African Union. The African diplomat stated that the initiatives undertaken by Morocco since the sixties of the last century,  for the development of regional integration in the African continent were a key step prior to each comprehensive development of the continent. With regards to South South partnership , Nimaga confirmed that this kind of cooperation "is an essential locomotive for African countries to respond to the challenges faced by the beginning of this century, notably globalisation and its negative consequences," adding that it was time to make the African continent a destination for investment and not just a recipient of foreign aid. He said that there is an urgent need to inject dynamism on the road to South-South cooperation through the activation of regional integration agreements, referring to the African continent, which has become an inevitable partner, given the importance of its resources and capabilities. He added that the African Union gives great attention to the youth, pointing out that youth play a pivotal role in any process of development. This meeting was organised by ambassadors of African countries with cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Representatives of forty countries from Africa, America, Europe and Asia participated.