Spanish Media Encourages Morocco’s Bid to Rejoin African Union while Algerian Media Condemns

Rabat – Amid Morocco’s desire to rejoin the African Union (AU) after King Mohammed VI formally requested that Morocco rejoin the pan-African organization last Sunday, the media of Morocco’s neighboring countries followed the issue. Some countries’ media outlets have lauded Morocco’s decision, but others have castigated it.

Last Monday, Spanish news website El Mundo described Morocco’s intention to return to AU as a “small historic step.”

El Mundo highlighted the strong position of Morocco among African countries, noting that the kingdom was one of the organization’s original founding members.

Echourouk Online, an Algerian online publication, said last Monday that the King had not formally determined that Morocco would return to the AU, since his request may not be accepted by many member states of the AU. Many of these states are conflicted because they recognize the Polisario’s self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as a member state.

“Will the AU insist on violating the national positions of a Member’s state?” Elchourouk asked, referring to the AU’s potential decision to rescind SADR’s membership.

Elwatan, an Algerian online publication, described on Tuesday the return of Morocco to the AU as “a maneuver of Mohammed VI,” adding that the Moroccan monarch is careful and the aim is not actually a reinstatement of Morocco’s seat in the AU.

TSA, an Algerian online publication, stated last Monday that the return of Morocco to the AU is a “diplomatic defeat [for Morocco] and an Algerian victory,” adding that the desire of Morocco to return to the AU, according to an Algerian diplomat, is due to the Algerian political leadership and constancy of the country’s position that isolated Morocco from the African continent.