Pan-African parliament says awaits Morocco's return to AU

The Pan-African parliament is awaiting the return of Morocco to the African Union (AU), the parliament's spokesman Roger Nkodo Dang said here on Tuesday.

"We are waiting for Morocco back to complete the list. We think that this parliament will play a basic role in unifying the continent," Nkodo Dang told the press following a meeting with spokesman of the Moroccan house of representatives Rachid Talbi Alami.

Morocco left the AU, at that time called Organization of African Unity, in 1984.

In July, Morocco formally announced its wish to rejoin the AU, 32 years after leaving over a sovereignty dispute.

Roger Nkodo Dang hailed Morocco's decision to return to the AU.

He added that his visit to Morocco aims to inform the Moroccan side, within a parliamentary framework, of the terms of returning to the parliament, noting that his meeting with Talbi Alami discussed bilateral issues of shared interest.

The Moroccan official said the talks involved Morocco's role at the continental level mainly regarding the development of investments.

The Pan-African parliament is headquartered in South Africa and comprises 270 deputies, which was established as an organ of the AU in order to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development of the continent. Endit