ECOWAS Accepts Morocco’s Bid for Membership !


Leaders from Ecowas gathered for a round table discussion as ECOWAS. Top in the agenda :
West African migrant crises in Libya

Militancy in the Sahel

Regional trade.

Nigeria’s President in his address urged members of the regional body to reaffirm their efforts towards the return of stranded migrants in North Africa. After hours of discussion the leaders agreed to uphold political stability while aiding in the peaceful transfer of power in Guinea Bissau.

President Buhari announced the gradual withdrawal of Nigerian troops from peace keeping in Guinea Bissau, calling for independent elections. He described concerns that the political deadlock is taking its toll on the people and the resources of member states, particularly troops from contributing countries to the ECOWAS mission in Guinea Bissau. He strongly urged all the stake holders in Guinea Bissau to respect their undertakings and plans to resolve the pokitical pass.

This is where the good stuff ends…..

In a surprise twist, leaders of ECOWAS have officially agreed in principle to accept Morocco–s bid for membership.

Now this is beyond stunning. Almost hard to believe really.

Morocco arrogantly left the OAU in 1984 because members voted to recognize the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, as the Polisario Front calls the territory.

To add insult to injury, in 1987 Morocco applied to join the European Communities ( the precursor to the present dat European Union). Of course the application was rejected on the grounds that Morocco was not considered to be a European country and hence could not join.

It is good to be back home after having been away for so long.
Those were the first words of Moroccan King Mohamed VI in a speech at the African Union Summit in February.

The speech came after avast majority of the AU member states voted to re-admit Morocco to the continental bloc after going rogue for 33 years.
But why is Morocco, a relatively wealthy north african country seeking membership in a West African Economic and Military Bloc?

Enshrined in the ECOWAS Charter is a geographic membership criterion. This alone disqualifies the north African state from membership. Then talk of trade, the geography and lack of robust transnational infrastructure makes trade between Morooco and ECOWAS nearly impossible or prohibitively expensive.

Also the European Union is Morocco’s biggest trading partner, constituting 55.7% of its trade with its near neighbour Spain and former colonial power France being the biggest beneficiaries. Besides trade lets not forget that Morocco is a member of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), which is a five country trade agreement with Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia.

Add to that , Morocco has signed almost 1,000 agreements and treaties with various African countries since 1999. Moroccan banks have expanded through out Africa with a presence in 20 countries -more so than Nigeria and South Africa combined. The country’s government owned airliner Royal Air Maroc is one of Africa’s biggest airlines.

Nigeria and Ghana are just about the only two significant Anglophone countries in a predominantly Francophone region. The economic prowess of Nigeria and Ghana and Nigeria’s hard and soft power is what tilts the balance in favour of English speaking West Africa, and is perhaps the only reason tiny Anglophone States like Liberia and S-Leone have a voice.

The admission of a quasi francophone country like Morocco with an economy in the same league as Nigeria’s and a more advanced and capable military will for the first time since the creation of ECOWAS tilt the balance of power towards French West Africa. Let’s not forget the Western Sahara issue too.

The geography also means freedom of movements across Member states impractical with Morocco. This is a win win for Morocco. A home run. Nigeria is practically ceding its leadership role to Morocco, changing the regional identity from Anglophone to Francophone West Africa. This could very well be the end of Nigeria as we know it.

https://defensenigeria.com/2017/12/18/7016/

Will all these matter when Kim the bomber finally makes good his threat?

Lol

welcome, we are open to all

i dont agree with you on this...we cant sustain ecowas alone its too expensive.....we need access to the midlle east to checkmate boko haram before they reach nigeria.....isolation is a very bad idea today.....

morocco cant dominate nigeria in ecowas....i dont see how that would be possible....china isolated themselves and got fvcked...

we shouldnt do the same mistake too especialy in a age were everything advance sooo quickly....

tsdarkside:
i dont agree with you on this...we cant sustain ecowas alone its too expensive.....we need access to the midlle east to checkmate boko haram before they reach nigeria.....isolation is a very bad idea today.....

Lol we don't need another newer peer competitor in the region to defeat Boko Haram. The region is getting claustrophobic. America in Cameroon and now Niger. France in Chad, Mali and Niger, Now Morocco.....oh boy ! What gives?

And so it begins. Nigeria's slide into irrelevance in ECOWAS is now a matter of time. With Morocco joining, the French will have an even more potent means of dumping thier goods into ECOWAS countries, further stunting growth in the region.

Buhari's parochial nature are to blame for this. I wonder if a lawyer can sue and state that Morocco cannot join due to the geographic position of the country.

think on the technologie transfers and weapons we could buy.....influence of france would end in the sea to europa and not our doorsteps like today.....i am for morocco joining ecowas to still defend what influence we have in africa....south africa is gone,forget them...

kenya is useless to us,their situation is not better than that of south africa....we have to look north for security....and we have already a large population of muslims....communications and understanding with morocco will not be a problem....

SSBN:



Lol we don't need another newer peer competitor in the region to defeat Boko Haram. The region is getting claustrophobic. America in Cameroon and now Niger. France in Chad, Mali and Niger, Now Morocco.....oh boy ! What gives?

you compare morocco with european nations...??....why..?....explain that to me....

when did arab nations ever tried to conquer black nations....??...why are you people so scared of morocco...?...

As an Igbo boy this more market for Is to conquer

If Europe wanted to sink our market with there goods

Cotonou is few hours from Nigeria and it's a free port so they won't need Morocco

I honestly don't see any disadvantage here

but y should Morocco be in ECOWAS me am not understanding ooo

mrvitalis:
As an Igbo boy this more market for Is to conquer

If Europe wanted to sink our market with there goods

Cotonou is few hours from Nigeria and it's a free port so they won't need Morocco

I honestly don't see any disadvantage here

i dont understand their fears..... ....its not that nigeria is a completly christian country anyways....am looking at the matter from a business view too.....

casualobserver1:
And so it begins. Nigeria's slide into irrelevance in ECOWAS is now a matter of time. With Morocco joining, the French will have an even more potent means of dumping thier goods into ECOWAS countries, further stunting growth in the region.

Buhari's parochial nature are to blame for this. I wonder if a lawyer can sue and state that Morocco cannot join due to the geographic position of the country.

Yep..ballance of power. We have sacrifised our hegemony to the god of political correctness. Heck Morocco is closer to Spain than it is to West Africa geographically. The Moroccans must have promised billions of dollars.

Who ever payeth the bill's, maketh the rules

II Opinions 4:7

Jesse01:
but y should Morocco be in ECOWAS me am not understanding ooo

business,owo,money......

Morocco is highly welcome!

SSBN:


Yep..ballance of power. We have sacrifised our hegemony to the god of political correctness. Heck Morocco is closer to Spain than it is to West Africa geographically. The Moroccans must have promised billions of dollars.

Who ever payeth the bill's, maketh the rules

II Opinions 4:7

Morocco is not closer to Spain....heck spaniards drove moroccans from spain...do you know al andalus...??....they were not europeans per se....

moroccans are more closer to us than to europe....

tsdarkside:


you compare morocco with european nations...??....why..?....explain that to me....

when did arab nations ever tried to conquer black nations....??...why are you people so scared of morocco...?...

Lol this guy. What the heck you saying? Lol

tsdarkside:


business,owo,money......

but Morocco is not a west Africa state na, but I thought ECOWAS is an west Africa organization so y include dem.

SSBN:


Lol this guy. What the heck you saying? Lol

arabs parcipated in slavery...and...??...guess what...all races were slaved throughout history....blacks sold white slaves too...

go get your facts right.....

tsdarkside:


i dont understand their fears..... ....its not that nigeria is a completly christian country anyways....am looking at the matter from a business view.....

I can't see any negative side of this deal

By the time we flood Morocco no one would tell them to withdraw their membership

tsdarkside:


arabs parcipated in slavery...and...??...guess what...all races were slaved throughout history....blacks sold white slaves too...

go get your facts right.....

Lol guy

Jesse01:
but Morocco is not a west Africa state na, but I thought ECOWAS is an west Africa organization so y include dem.

what does it matter...the earth was a pangea once before it splitted..all continents were toghether.....

what matters is interests not geography....

SSBN:



Lol guy

you funny...

mrvitalis:

I can't see any negative side of this deal

By the time we flood Morocco no one would tell them to withdraw their membership

let them join joor and let us make business with each other....

tsdarkside:


what does it matter...the earth was a pangea once before it splitted..all continents were toghether.....

what matters is interests not geography....

it should matters hw dose dis move help Nigeria or any west Africa state?

It is a welcome development.

Jesse01:
it should matters hw dose dis move help Nigeria or any west Africa state?

look,which west african country do you know that is purely christian...??...none.....so that is not something to argue about...

if europe wanted to flood their products to nigeria they dont need morocco for that.....

what other reasons do you have against morocco joining...?

tsdarkside:


look,which west african country do you know that is purely christian...??...none.....so that is not something to argue about...

if europe wanted to flood their products to nigeria they dont need morocco for that.....

what other reasons do you have against morocco joining...?

because dey are Arabs, and Arabs are don't like blacks

Choi. In essence ECOWAS is giving terrorists of Moroccan and north African extraction greater opportunity to strike Nigeria.

Basically, they'll have same passport as myself. Surely, this can't be good.

Morocco is a beautiful country though

Jesse01:
because dey are Arabs, and Arabs are don't like blacks

thats not true...dont let what some criminal arabs are doing deceive you...all races have their bad eggs......you think whites dont have criminals too......

look,fact remains,europeans see arabs as africans too....europeans dont differentiate between a arab and a black african....

Developers already planning to go and develop Morocco! I bet u, after them flat heads invade that country in the name of free movement, nobody go tell Morocco to leave ECOWAS sharp sharp