Why ECOWAS must reject Morocco – Falana

Ace lawyer and rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, has called the
member states of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) to reject request by Morocco to join the body.

Falana said this today in a paper entitled "Deploying the ECOWAS legal
architecture for addressing impunity in West African sub region", he
presented at the multi-stakeholders consultative meeting on
Strengthening the ECOWAS Court of Justice and enhancing Access to
justice in the West African sub region.

Falana noted that, "Despite the so called Morocco's strong ties with
ECOWAS member states, trade between them remains low as it is less
than USD 1 billion a year. This is insignificant as West Africa has a
GDP of $345 billion. Even then, the volume of trade is expected to
reduce as some of the trade agreements between Morocco and ECOWAS
member states are illegal to the extent that they relate to the
mineral resources in Western Sahara."

According to him, "Both the European Court of Human and a High Court
in South Africa have ruled that Morocco lacks the legal capacity to
mine the mineral resources in the territory of Western Sahara."

The paper read in part: "Having been frustrated in its bid to
re-colonize the ECOWAS sub-region, the European Union decided to
encourage Morocco to apply to join the ECOWAS. It is my humble view
that if Morocco is admitted to ECOWAS the European Union would have
achieved its objective as it has signed an Association Agreement with
Morocco which is similar to the EU-ECOWAS Partnership Agreement in
every material particular."

"In other words, if the request is granted, Morocco will take
advantage of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of people and goods
to serve as a gateway for EU goods entering into West Africa and
thereby destroy the infantile industries in the sub region."

"The principal aim of the ECOWAS is the promotion of economic
development and regional integration leading to the establishment of
an economic union in West Africa in order to raise the living
standards of its peoples, and to maintain and enhance economic
stability, foster relations among Member States and contribute to the
progress and development of the African Continent. Although the ECOWAS
is 43 years old it has failed to establish a viable economic union and
raise the living standards of community citizens."

"Indeed, regional integration has been frustrated by economic policies
imposed on the member states by an unjust international economic
order. In spite of the ruination of the economy of the member states
through the imposition of the Structural Adjustment Programme by
imperialism the ECOWAS is under pressure by the European Union to sign
the so-called EU/ECOWAS partnership Agreement."

"Through the cancellation of tariffs the neo-colonial economic agenda
is designed to allow the industrialised members of the European Union
to flood the region with manufacture goods and thereby destroy the
infantile industries in the member states of ECOWAS."