Algeria fails to exclude Morocco from Africa-Europe summits

The ministerial council of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on Saturday rejected a request by Algeria which wished to hold OAU-Europe Summits in stead of Africa-Europe summits.

The Algerian request was made an in-camera session of the OAU ministerial conference, currently held in Lusaka, Zambia.

The Algerian attempt triggered the anger of several member states who opposed the request.

"The attempt sought to exclude Morocco from the Africa-Europe summits," a delegate who was present at the session told MAP news agency.

Morocco quit the OAU in 1984 to protest the illegal admission of the so-called Sahrawi republic.

Several countries, especially Egypt and Senegal insisted on the need to maintain the present formula of the Africa-Europe summit and firmly rejected the Algerian request.

Algeria had made the same attempt in 2000 but it was foiled by several African nations and by the European Union (EU).

EU had made it clear that it would not participate in a summit without Morocco.