Factors determining the uncertainty of Morocco’s membership of the Economic Community of West African States

Since Morocco applied for membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in February 2017, it has only received an agreement in principle in 2018. As ECOWAS is a community of several West African countries whose objectives include promoting cooperation and integration to establish a West African economic union, raising the standard of living of its people, and other similar goals, Morocco wishes to join. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that this definitive membership is uncertain due to several factors. In addition, there is a lack of studies on the likelihood or unlikelihood of Morocco’s integration into ECOWAS. To carry out this study credibly, a triangulation approach was necessary to demonstrate the uncertainty surrounding Morocco’s integration into ECOWAS. This uncertainty is linked to factors of governance and geography, time and currency, freedom of movement, of coming, and of staying, as well as strong European tendencies in Morocco and the economic and commercial advantages more in Morocco’s favor, which are hampering Morocco’s accession process to ECOWAS. Not all these factors have been highlighted by researchers. The article also proposes solutions in the form of perspectives likely to ensure the realization of this membership so desired by Morocco, provided, of course, that both Morocco and ECOWAS itself consider these solutions.