The governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are advancing a strategic partnership with Morocco to secure access to the Atlantic Ocean, marking a major shift in West Africa’s geopolitical landscape.
According to Morocco’s state news agency, the announcement was made during a meeting with King Mohammed VI in Rabat on Monday, where the three landlocked Sahel nations backed a Moroccan initiative to open Atlantic trade routes through its ports.
This development follows the countries’ withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which left them reliant on neighboring coastal states like Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal for maritime access.
Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, praised the initiative, saying it would help diversify the countries’ sea access and reduce dependency on former ECOWAS partners.
The initiative, unveiled in November 2023, positions Morocco as a key economic and diplomatic player in the Sahel, with investments including a $1 billion port project in Dakhla, Western Sahara.
The partnership also comes amid rising tensions between the Sahel Alliance States (AES) and Algeria. While Algeria supports the Polisario Front’s bid for Western Sahara’s independence and has severed diplomatic ties with Morocco, Morocco has strengthened ties with AES nations and even mediated the release of French citizens imprisoned in Burkina Faso.
The move underscores the AES bloc’s realignment away from traditional Western partners and toward alternative alliances, including growing military ties with Russia.
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