Doha – The 16th BRICS summit kicked off on October 22 in Kazan, Russia, and South Africa has made its stance clear: it will not support Morocco’s potential membership in the influential economic bloc.
This three-day summit, which concludes on October 24, has seen leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) gather to discuss matters of global importance, with the issue of expansion taking center stage.
According to Bloomberg, South African officials have expressed their firm opposition to any attempts to include Morocco or Nigeria in the BRICS alliance, citing concerns over the dilution of South Africa’s influence within the group.
This position was reiterated by unnamed South African officials who spoke to the media outlet on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
The tension between South Africa and Morocco over the Western Sahara dispute has been a longstanding point of contention.
In April of last year, South Africa managed to include the issue of Western Sahara on the agenda of a meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers of the BRICS.
The situation further escalated in August of the same year when South Africa invited Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to participate in the “BRICS/Africa” meeting in Johannesburg, just days after Morocco rejected South Africa’s invitation to attend the event, citing strained diplomatic relations.
Morocco asserted that the invitation was a unilateral initiative by South Africa rather than a collective decision by the BRICS group or the African Union. The North African country also denied rumors of having applied for BRICS membership.
The BRICS group, formed in 2009, has recently undergone a significant expansion, welcoming Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt as new members in early 2024.
This move has bolstered the bloc’s economic clout, pairing major energy producers with some of the biggest consumers among developing nations.
Saudi Arabia was also announced as a new member, although the kingdom has yet to make a final decision on joining.
Russia, as the current chair of BRICS, has been eager to showcase the summit as evidence of its global standing, despite facing international isolation due to its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov announced that the summit would host 36 national delegations and six international organizations, making it the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.
While South Africa remains steadfast in its opposition to Morocco’s membership, China has taken a different approach.
In September, Morocco was invited to participate in the BRICS Forum 2024 on partnership for the new industrial revolution, held in Xiamen, China.
Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ryad Mezzour, represented the kingdom at the event, which focused on fostering collaboration and exploring potential partnerships with BRICS nations.
This invitation from China highlights the complex dynamics at play within the BRICS alliance.
While South Africa seeks to maintain its regional influence and block Morocco’s entry, China appears to be open to engaging with the North African nation on matters of economic cooperation.
As the summit progresses, discussions on the future of BRICS and its potential for further expansion are expected to dominate the agenda.
With a growing number of countries expressing interest in joining the bloc — including Malaysia, Thailand, and Turkiye — the question of how to balance competing geopolitical interests while promoting economic growth and cooperation remains a critical challenge for the alliance.
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