This thesis examines the use of Africanness and politics of belonging in Morocco's discourse on its readmission to the African Union in 2017. As Morocco's Africanness became more scrutinized during...Show moreThis thesis examines the use of Africanness and politics of belonging in Morocco's discourse on its readmission to the African Union in 2017. As Morocco's Africanness became more scrutinized during the country's 33-year-long absence from the African Union, the King launched a comprehensive Africa policy to assert its Africanness. To explore the role of Africanness and politics of belonging in Morocco's discourse on readmission, this thesis analyzes a royal speech and ethnographic data collected from fieldwork in Morocco. Morocco selectively claims its Africanness as part of its political project of belonging. In the process, the Kingdom legitimizes its membership in the African Union and its claims on the Western Sahara.Show less
