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Morocco becomes 55th member of AU

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Addis Ababa, January 31, 2017 (SPS) – Morocco has been admitted to the African Union as its 55th member state on Monday during the works of the 28th AU Summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Morocco left the Organization of Africa Unity (OAU), current AU, to protest against the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as a full member of the AU.
In a statement to the press, Sahrawi Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Salek said that "since Morocco has not set a condition and has not expressed reservations on the AU Constitutive Act, we take it seriously and we accept that it joins the AU on the basis of its Constitutive Act."
"The Sahrawi Republic welcomes Morocco, whose seat will be next to SADR's, and all African States, including those which are Morocco's friends, said that they will work so that the Sahrawi Republic and Morocco resolve their conflict," said Ould Salek.
He underlined that there were a "consensus" on Morocco's admission to the AU and on having a seat next to SADR's, adding that this is "a major diplomatic victory for the Sahrawis." SPS
 
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