King Mohammed VI welcomed the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to the Royal Palace in Rabat. The meeting marks a significant step in the revival of the “Atlantic Initiative”, a strategic Moroccan project intended to grant the landlocked Sahel nations access to Morocco’s Atlantic ports, notably Tangier Med and the under-construction port of Dakhla.
Presented as a gesture of South-South solidarity, the initiative comes at a time of shifting regional alliances. For the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which have severed ties with ECOWAS and are increasingly estranged from Western partners, Morocco now appears as a key strategic and diplomatic ally.
“At a time when others were on the verge of declaring war on us, Morocco expressed its solidarity,” recalled Bakary Yaou Sangaré, Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, underlining Rabat’s role amid high regional tensions.
An Ambitious but Challenging Project
Officially launched by King Mohammed VI in November 2023, the project seeks to establish logistical corridors connecting the Sahel to Moroccan ports via Mauritania. However, it faces numerous challenges: geographical distance, insufficient infrastructure, and dependence on Mauritanian cooperation.
Sahel expert Seidik Abba has pointed to the project’s economic limits: “Transporting goods from Morocco to Niger or Burkina Faso via Mali is extremely costly. Without solid regional infrastructure, the project is unlikely to be viable in the short term.”
A Diplomatic Move Against Algiers
Beyond its economic dimension, the Atlantic Initiative is widely seen as a geopolitical instrument. Morocco views it as an opportunity to bolster its foothold in the Sahel while countering Algeria, a long-time supporter of the Sahrawi independence movement.
The royal reception of the three Sahelian ministers — at a time when their relations with Algiers are at an all-time low, particularly following the Algerian army’s downing of a Malian drone in early April — sends a clear message: Rabat intends to position itself as the region’s reference partner.
Between Diplomacy and Development
Despite logistical hurdles, Sahelian authorities have reiterated their commitment to the project. For them, it is not merely about gaining access to the sea, but about taking part in a broader economic transformation.
Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré announced that technical and logistical preparations were already underway to implement Morocco’s vision.
Towards a New Regional Architecture?
As the Sahel reshapes its strategic partnerships and tensions with Algiers deepen, the strengthening of ties between Rabat and the AES could mark the emergence of a new geopolitical architecture in West Africa.
Morocco, already active in the region through its banks, airlines, and religious training programmes, appears more determined than ever to cement its leadership on the African continent.
