International News

Morocco king boycotts Africa summit to avoid Netanyahu

RABAT, June 2, (APP/AFP) – Morocco’s king has cancelled
plans to attend a West Africa summit this weekend in Liberia due
to the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
the foreign ministry has said.
The North African country is hoping to join the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after the African Union
readmitted Morocco after a 33-year absence in January.
Mohamed VI had been due to attend the ECOWAS summit in
Monrovia on Saturday and Sunday, where members are expected to
discuss Morocco’s petition to join the bloc as a “full member”,
the foreign ministry said late Thursday.
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,” the ministry said in a statement.