In the entrance hall of the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, a huge portrait of King Mohammed VI of Morocco was strategically placed to greet delegates attending the AU summit in January. Photographs illustrating Morocco's contribution to peacekeeping in Africa, dating back to the 1960s, as well as its numerous humanitarian missions on the continent, completed the exhibition.
This kind of display by a member state is unusual for the AU, which prides itself on its equal treatment of all 55 member states. Clearly Morocco is taking advantage of its January 2017 return to the AU to make its mark, despite resistance from the traditional allies of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), South Africa and Algeria.
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