Morocco’s king has canceled plans to attend a Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) Summit this weekend in Liberia due to the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The North African country is hoping to join the ECOWS after the African Union readmitted Morocco after a 33-year absence.
King Mohammad VI had been due to attend the ECOWAS Heads of State Summit in Monrovia on Saturday and Sunday, where members are expected to, among other things, discuss Morocco’s request to join the sub regional bloc as a “full member.”
But key members of ECOWAS “have decided to reduce to the minimum their level of representation at the summit because they disagree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being invited,” a statement from Morocco’s Foreign Ministry said.
The king “wishes his first visit to a ECOWAS summit not take place in a context of tension and controversy,” it said.
Netanyahu is expected to attend the summit from Sunday at the head of a large diplomatic and economic delegation, his office said.
Source: MoroccoWorldNews