If one is to judge by the fact of geographical location and strict definition, Morocco unequivocally is not supposed to aspire to the membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an organization evolved to cater for the social, economic, political and cultural interests of the countries in the West Africa sub-region.
This is obviously because Morocco, majorly an Arab country (99% Arab-Berber) is located in the farthermost part of North Africa. But there are examples of such deviation in international relations and multilateral interactions. For instance, in pureness, the Commonwealth of Nations ought to be made up of Britain and its former colonies. However, three countries – namely Cameroon, Mozambique and Namibia were not directly and fully colonized by Britain and yet, they are today, members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Cameroon became a member of the Commonwealth in 1999, though largely a French colony. However, its membership can be understood from the historical fact that the Western part of the country was administered by the British as part of Nigeria when it was entrusted to it by the United Nations. If Cameroon’s connection with the British empire is traceable, Mozambique’s connection is very remote for purely, Mozambique was a Portuguese colony. It became independent in 1975. Mozambique geographically is surrounded on all its frontiers by Anglophone countries which were supportive of the liberation of the country during the liberation struggle. Indeed, at the peak of the struggle, the Commonwealth of Nations played significant role in restoring normalcy to the country as it dissolved into political and socio-economic chaos in the wake of Portugal’s hasty departure. It was this role Mozambique leveraged upon to join the Commonwealth of Nations. In the case of Namibia also, during the colonial era, Namibia then known as South West Africa, was entrusted to South Africa for administration as mandate by the League of Nations in 1918 with the sponsorship of Britain as a legal intermediary, which implies that South Africa was just a surrogate in Namibia. This indirect nexus partly gave Namibia the leverage to also join the Commonwealth in1995. In spite of this incongruence, Britain still remains eternally unchallengeable as the hegemonic leader of the association. It is this it sets to rejuvenate with a view to re-establishing itself on the world stage following its exit from the European Union.
The ECOWAS was birthed in 1975. Its broad aim is to promote economic self-reliance in the sub-region through cooperation and development in the fields of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, commerce, monetary, finance and in social, political and cultural matters. Although the organization’s treaty was initially signed by 15 countries, they were however, later joined by Cape Verde thereby bringing the membership to 16 countries. Mauritania withdrew in 2000 thereby bringing the number to 15. Strictly defined, all the 15 counties are located in West Africa as portrayed by the name of the organization. Indeed the founding fathers of the organization did not envisage that the organization would grow beyond the sub-region. Of the 15 members, eight are Francophone countries; two are Portuguese speaking while five are English speaking out of which four are former British colonies. Morocco is at the verge of becoming a member; Tunisia is also eyeing the organization and Mauritania also wants to stage a comeback. Apart from being instrumental to the formation of the organization, Nigeria is the most populous of the member countries and also has the biggest economy. The economy of Lagos State is even bigger than the economies of some of the member countries. Apart from harbouring the headquarters of the sub-regional body, Nigeria has also been playing prominent roles in the organization in its pursuit of economic cooperation, development and the resolution of debilitating political conflicts. Indeed Nigeria is a power point and of course the leader of the sub-region.
If the focus of the sub-regional body is economic self-reliance through cooperation which is equally envisaged to lead to economic integration of the sub-region, the questions then are these: why should Morocco, a North African country be interested in the organization? Should the organization accept its membership? No doubt, every country in the international system has the latitude to legitimately pursue its social, economic and political objectives on any platform it feels it can achieve those objectives. ECOWAS will unarguably assist Morocco to further expand and develop its economic objectives. Morocco is said to have the fifth largest economy in Africa; it has a record of steady economic growth; its tourism sector is well developed and is of course second to the country’s phosphate industry. Beyond this, at a point it was also, the first African country by the Economist Intelligence Unit quality-of-life index, ahead of South Africa. Its agricultural sector which employs about 40% of its population is also growing. Indeed, Morocco will obviously want to build upon all these and of course the ECOWAS is one of the platforms the country can explore to pursue and achieve this goal of economic expansionism.
However, as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Lagos Branch has observed, should Morocco be finally admitted, Morocco’s economic gains shall certainly be the economic losses of the poor West African countries. As the association has argued, Morocco’s association with the European Union is enough to damage the economies of the countries in the sub-region.
Apart from the economic agenda of Morocco which the countries in the sub-region have the free will to prevent because of its likely pernicious effects, this Moroccan move, one suspects, is also an attempt to whittle the leadership and influence of Nigeria in the West African sub-region. And on this, it is not unlikely that Morocco is a surrogate of France a country that has not been very well disposed to the dominance, power, influence and leadership of Nigeria in the sub-region.
France and Morocco of course have historical antecedent. To be sure, in 1911, France did conquer Morocco after the Agadir crisis. In 1912 after the Morocco and Agadir imbroglio, the Treaty of Fez was signed which balkanized Morocco into French and Spanish protectorates. France ruled its own protectorate for 44 years. In 1956, Morocco became free from French rule and also later recovered most of its territories from the Spanish colonizers. Today the links between France and Morocco are still there. For example, millions of Moroccans live in France. According to the country’s 2004 census, nearly 69% of literate people can read and write French. In fact most of government and official transactions are done in French. France is also the major trade partner and creditor of Morocco. France also has very significant investment in Morocco. With Morocco in ] ECOWAS and with its impressive economic statistics, therefore, it may become a rallying point for the Francophone countries in the organization and of course a country to look up to for succour and politicking within the organization instead of Nigeria. The support Morocco’s membership has received so far seems a product of French connection.
Apart from this, Morocco’s membership may inferentially create unhealthy rivalry between it and Nigeria and thereby weaken the unity and the integration goal of the sub-region. This will further sustain the hegemonic influence of France in West Africa and also its other neo-colonial agenda. The kind of polarization its membership can import to the organization is typical of the country’s avoidance of the Israeli Prime Minister when he came to address the organization recently. On the strength of the foregoing, Nigeria and other members of the ECOWAS should realise the fact that, it is not in their best interest to admit Morocco and also the itching Tunisia to its fold more so that they are North African states. Doing so also will of course be tantamount to a deviation from the original conception, vision and goals of the sub-regional body by its founding fathers.
- Dr Adebisi writes from Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State.
