Morocco Quits Africa-Arab Summit Over Presence Of Polisario
Sumaira FH Published November 23, 2016 | 08:45 PM
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Nov, 2016 ) - Morocco and several Arab countries walked out of an Africa-Arab nations summit in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday to protest the presence of a delegation from the Polisario Front, media reports said.
Morocco, which is a big investor in Africa, quit the fourth Africa-Arab World Summit, which focuses on economic cooperation, along with seven other Arab nations - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Yemen -- and Somalia.
The Moroccan delegation took the decision to protest "the presence of the emblem of a puppet entity in the meeting rooms", the Moroccan foreign ministry said, quoted by the Moroccan news agency MAP.
Morocco maintains that Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony under its control, is an integral part of the kingdom, while the Polisario Front, which campaigns for the territory's independence, demands a referendum on self-determination.
The Moroccan delegation quit the one-day summit in Malabo as Rabat is attempting to rejoin the African Union which it left in 1984 -- when it was then called the Organisation of African Unity -- to protest the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declared by the Polisario.
In 1991, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire between the two sides. But a promised referendum to settle the status of the vast desert territory home to half a million people has yet to materialise.
Morocco's latest move was criticised on Equatorial Guinea's Africa 24 network, which is close to the government. "Morocco has partnerships with Central Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa. We cannot allow such a blow", said one commentator.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Sharjah Animation Conference explores cross-cultural collaboration opportunities ..
Sharjah Public Library provides countless opportunities for young imaginations t ..
Sharjah Police launches 'Your belongings, your responsibility' awareness campaig ..
Dubai Police displays Innovative Tourism Security Services at 'ATM 2024'
Mohammad Haris, Aamir Jamal not part of national squad for Ireland, England: Bab ..
Erdogan opens former church to Muslim worshippers
Cultural events hallmark of a nation, Director RAC
Iraq hangs 11 convicted of 'terrorism': security, health sources
Stocks rise on renewed hopes of rate cuts
PM assures all-out support to Saudi investment
S.Africa building collapse traps 48 workers: city hall
Nilofar lauds efforts for development of national document aimed promoting balan ..
More Stories From World
-
Football: Italian Serie A results - collated
4 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
4 hours ago -
Atalanta climb into Serie A top five ahead of Marseille decider
4 hours ago -
Jones frustrates Wilson's quest to win World Snooker final
4 hours ago -
No let up yet for flood-battered south Brazil
5 hours ago -
Serie A blasts plans for government football finance body
5 hours ago
-
Prophet's Mosque accommodates over 4.2 million worshippers last week
6 hours ago -
UN experts slams Israel’s ‘sexual assault and violence’ against women, children in Gaza
6 hours ago -
Merlier pips Milan to Giro third stage, bold Pogacar holds lead
6 hours ago -
Sharjah Animation Conference explores cross-cultural collaboration opportunities, highlights new pro ..
6 hours ago -
Sharjah Public Library provides countless opportunities for young imaginations to take flight at SCR ..
6 hours ago -
Sharjah Police launches 'Your belongings, your responsibility' awareness campaign
6 hours ago