Morocco’s bid to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), would be decided today at the 52nd summit of the sub-region’s leaders.
The issue, including political and security situation in Guinea Bissau, Tunisia’s observer status among others, topped the agenda of the summit, already in closed session in Abuja, Nigeria.
Morocco’s membership of the community was agreed in principle by the leaders during their 51st summit held in June 2017 in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital.
But they requested the ECOWAS Commission to consider the implications of such decision pursuant to the provisions of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty and submit their findings to the 52nd session.
A study on the impact of Morocco’s membership was carried out and the outcome is due to be submitted to the West African leaders today, said a statement made available to the media today.
The summit, according to the statement, would also feature presentations by Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, ECOWAS Commission president Marcel de Souza and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas.