AU leaders vote for re-admission of Morocco into union.

The approval comes thirty-three years after Morocco initially pulled out from the pan-African group, which was formerly known as Organisation of African Unity, OAU.

But the vote was not without concern by several countries, including South Africa and Algeria, who insisted the Morocco should first recognise the independence of Western Sahara. 

It was because of recognition of the sovereignty of Western Sahara by the regional group that Morocco decided to pull out its membership in 1984.

However; the BBC reports that officials of the African Union-recognised government in Western Sahara have welcomed the admission of Morocco into the pan-African body.

The Western Sahara officials are hoping that the development would provide an opportunity to address the decades-long dispute over the territory.