Monrovia – King Mohamed VI will reportedly spent five days in Liberia, beginning June 3rd, 2017 when he joins the leaders of 15 West African nations and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for this year’s summit.
The visit of King Mohamed, who has been lobbying intensely to have Morocco join the regional body, is expected to add to a busy week of tight security and is building up to be one of the busiest few days in Liberia since the 1979 Organization of African Unity (OAU) conference.
All the major airlines flying in to the Roberts International Airport have been cancelled for Sunday, June 4, 2017.
“All for Members due to fly to or from Liberia on 4 June should make alternative travel arrangements as all flights are due to be suspended during an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit near the capital Monrovia,” KLM and Delta sky members were informed in emails this week.
The statement said that the RIA highway in Monrovia will be closed to all traffic between Marshall Junction and Roberts International Airport (ROB), 35 miles (56km) east of central Monrovia, until 18.00 (local time) on the day.
“Further traffic restrictions and heightened security can be expected in and around the capital, particularly around the Farmington Hotel, the summit venue, which is situated close to the airport.”
The airlines have advised travellers due to fly to or from Liberia on 4 June to make alternative travel arrangements.
“We do not hold information on specific flights; in the event of any cancellations, your travel agent will be able to assist with alternative arrangements. Liaise with local contacts and hotel to reconfirm routes and road closure schedules, and plan journeys accordingly.
Do not be unduly alarmed by a heightened security force presence. Follow all instructions issued by the authorities.
Travel outside Monrovia poses significant logistical challenges and good journey planning and management are essential; seek itinerary-specific advice from security professionals prior to undertaking cross-country travel.”
“This advice is not exhaustive; refer to our Standing Travel Advice for Liberia and monitor our Liberia alerts for related updates.”
Despite not being a member, Morocco is one of the major investors in the region and has been involved in many peacekeeping and crisis management operations in West Africa.
Mr. Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation told Radio France International recently that human and religious ties between Morocco and West Africa are deeply rooted and that the economic presence also of Morocco in this zone is very strong.
In February, King Mohamed informed the president of the ECOWAS of Morocco’s interest in joining the organization.
Sources tell FrontPageAfrica that Rwanda, Liberia and Nigeria have been among the key countries lobbying for Morocco to join.
The Moroccan Foreign Minister announced in February that it had officially made the request through Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who currently chairs the 15-member country bloc.
The request which was first published by the Dakar-based Agence Presse Africaine, is in line with Morocco’s efforts “to crown the strong political, human, historical, religious, and economic ties at all levels with Ecowas member countries”.
The statement added that the request was in line with provisions of Ecowas’s founding treaty and membership criteria.
The statement also said that Morocco’s desire to join Ecowas was part of the Royal Vision for regional integration, as a key to Africa’s economic growth, and the King’s Africa policy as reflected by the return of the Kingdom to the African Union.
Morocco currently maintains institutional relations with Ecowas through its Observer status.
The Moroccan King has reportedly visited 11 countries in West Africa in the last few years during which several agreements have been reached, geared towards taking that relationship to a higher level.
Founded in 1975 following the Treaty of Lagos in Nigeria, ECOWAS is a 15-member regional group, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
Morocco is geographically, west of Africa, which according to Bourita, suggest that it enjoys the support of most countries in the region.