MOROCCO ASKS TO REJOIN AFRICAN UNION!!!

Accessibility links Skip to contentAccessibility.Morocco asks to rejoin African Union after 32 years 18 July 2016 From Africa Share Image AP Image Last month Morocco's King Mohammed VI met Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose country is hosting the AU summit Morocco has formally announced its wish to rejoin the African Union, 32 years after leaving the organisation. In a message to the AU summit in Rwanda, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI said the time had come for his country to retake its place within its institutional family. Morocco left the AU in 1984, after the organisation recognised the independence of Western Sahara. Moroccans describe Western Sahara as their country's "southern provinces". For more than three decades, Morocco has refused to be part of the organisation. In March, it threatened to pull its soldiers out of UN global peacekeeping missions because of the dispute. Now, the Moroccan authorities seem to have concluded their absence hasn't helped them diplomatically over Western Sahara and many other issues, says correspondent reporter. They sent a special envoy to lobby African leaders at their summit in the Rwandan capital Kigali this weekend. The AU has said that it will continue pushing for the rights of the people of Western Sahara to hold a self-determination referendum. Morocco is the only African country which is not an AU member. How did we get here? 1975-76: Morocco annexes two-thirds of Western Sahara after colonial power Spain withdraws. 1975-76: Polisario Front declares the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with a government-in-exile in Algeria. Thousands of Sahrawi refugees flee to western Algeria to set up camps. 1984: Morocco leaves the Organisation of African Unity (which later became the African Union) in protest at the SADR's admission to the body. 1991: UN-monitored ceasefire begins in Western Sahara, but the territory's status remains undecided and ceasefire violations are reported. The following decade sees much wrangling over a proposed referendum on the future of the territory but the deadlock is not broken. March 2016: Morocco threatens to pull its soldiers out of UN global peacekeeping missions in Western Sahara, after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon uses the term "occupation" when referring to the territory. May 2016: Long-time Polisario Front leader Mohamed Abdelaziz dies aged 68 Share this story About sharing Email Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Linkedin More on this story Western Sahara profile 2 June 2016 Morocco country profile 11 November 2015 Video Toy soldiers in Western Sahara 20 May 2015 Western Sahara: Polisario Front leader Abdelaziz dies 1 June 2016 Africa SA rally driver dies on Kilimanjaro 18 July 2016 From Africa Full article SA rally driver dies on Kilimanjaro Police charged with killing Kenyan lawyer 18 July 2016 From Africa Full article Police charged with killing Kenyan lawyer Africa highlights: AU fails to elect new leader, '11 Ethiopian police shot dead' in protests From Africa Full article Africa highlights: AU fails to elect new leader, '11 Ethiopian police shot dead' in protests   More Videos from the BBC 'May God help him' - Turkey's PM on Johnson Turkey coup: Soldier attacked by 'baying' crowd Boris Johnson on Africa in quotes Mick Jagger to be a dad again... Inside a Sharia council divorce hearing Attack in Nice: Muslims describe tensions after… Recommended by Outbrain.John O'Neil named as man who must tell police of sex… Recommended by Outbrain. The psychological tricks behind Pokemon Go's success Top Stories Confusion over Turkey coup 'confession' Russia doping 'across Olympic sports' French PM booed at Nice commemoration Features & Analysis 'Frozen babies' The Americans who 'adopt' other people's embryos 'Heavenly taste' The Indian state obsessed with beef fry Mayfair mystery Did a London hotel become part of Yugoslavia for a day? Lights, camera... censorship How Bollywood is fighting for creative freedom Poignant post Dead Baton Rouge policeman's message shared by thousands Fighting fit How one man built a martial arts empire Unsafe haven Why Lebanon's largest animal shelter might have to close Soviet relics The landscape and abandoned spaces of the former USSR Most Popular popular Read selected Watched Most 1 Confusion over Turkey coup 'confession' 2 Gun ban sought at Republican convention 3 Why the French PM was booed in Nice 4 India gang rape victim assaulted again 5 French PM booed at Nice commemoration 6 Irresponsible to scrap Trident - May 7 SA rally driver dies on Kilimanjaro 8 UK will not abandon EU friends - Johnson 9 France lorry attack: As it happened 10 Police purge in Turkey after coup bid   From Around the Web Indian startup ships $4 smartphone Nikkei Asian Review EU leaders stress need for engagement on… Nikkei Asian Review Promoted content by Outbrain News Services On your mobile On your connected tv Get news alerts Contact BBC News Explore the BBC News Sport Weather Shop Earth Travel Capital Culture Autos Future TV Radio CBBC CBeebies Food iWonder Bitesize Music Arts Make It Digital Taster Nature Local Terms of Use About the PRBXSELFNETWORK Privacy Policy Cookies Accessibility Help Parental Guidance.PRBXSELFNETot responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.