Morocco is officially elected member of the African Union Peace and Security Council. Its candidacy-the only one presented in the North African region- received 39 votes, while 16 members of the pan-African organization abstained. Morocco's bid to join the council comes as the Kingdom ratified in mid-January the protocol establishing the Peace and Security Council. The step has allowed Morocco to make this move, knowing that Algeria's term is expected to expire on March the 31st. Algeria, however, is planning to return in 2019, applying for another term. For the record, the vote took place on Friday morning in Addis Ababa during the 32nd session of the African Union Executive Council.
