The foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three military-led Sahel states, announced on Monday that they support an initiative providing them access to global trade through Morocco’s Atlantic ports, Morocco’s state news agency reported.
The ministers conveyed their countries’ endorsement of the initiative during a meeting with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI in Rabat. This marks a step forward in their diplomatic and economic ties with Morocco.
The three West African nations, which have been governed by military juntas following recent coups, withdrew from the regional grouping ECOWAS last year. Instead, they formed the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), aiming for greater independence and cooperation outside of ECOWAS.
Morocco, which has been a major investor in West Africa’s financial and agricultural sectors, first introduced the trade access initiative in November 2023, after ECOWAS imposed trade sanctions on the three states. The move is seen as a means for the landlocked nations to diversify their access to international markets. Mali’s foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating it would help “diversify our access to the sea.”
The Moroccan news agency described the meeting as a reflection of the long-standing and strong relations between Morocco and the three countries of the AES. The visit comes amid increasing tensions between the AES and Algeria, Morocco’s regional rival.
Algeria, which has cut ties with Morocco and supports the Polisario Front in its bid for independence in Western Sahara, has seen its relations with Morocco deteriorate. Morocco, in turn, is building a $1 billion port in Western Sahara, a territory it considers its own.
The AES bloc has also moved away from Western influence, expelling French and other Western forces and turning to Russia for military support. In December, Morocco played a key role in mediating the release of four French spies held in Burkina Faso, following Paris’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.