This is how the king of Morocco, Mohammed VI, received the minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger at the Royal Palace, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop, and that of Burkina Faso, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, during a meeting taking place “in the context of strong relations” of the kingdom with the three Sahelian countries, said the Moroccan press agency (MAP).
During this meeting, according to an official source, the three ministers praised the initiative proposed by Morocco to promote access to their countries at the Atlantic“Reaffirming their total membership and their commitment to accelerate its implementation”. The press release published by the three foreign ministers highlighted the common desire to concretize this initiative, while welcoming Morocco’s efforts as a key partner in African development. “This approach is part of a win-win logic, in the service of shared prosperity and regional security”can we read in the text.
The representatives of the AES also praised the royal vision, qualifying the Atlantic initiative as a “essential project to break isolation and diversify the Sahelian economies”. In their joint declaration, after the hearing, they stressed the importance of this cooperation “to strengthen regional connectivity and stimulate trade”. King Mohammed VI announced this project in a speech in 2023.
For the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, this initiative comes at its time and will allow the three states and in Morocco to “also strengthen peace and security” in the Sahel. For his Burkina counterpart, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, this initiative comes “At a time when each of our countries was in a kind of political, economic confinement, and we underwent the pressure of confinement”. This is confirmed by the Nigerian minister, their counterpart Bakary Yaou Sangaré, who told the press after the meeting, that it was a “bargain” for the three “landlocked” countries.
The Atlantic initiative carried by Morocco aims to open up the Sahelian countries and to offer them new economic perspectives. This structuring project aims to remove the geographic and logistical obstacles which slow down the development of these nations, by opening up direct access to international sea routes.
With the support of AES countries, the Atlantic initiative could mark a decisive turning point for the future of the Sahel, a region with immense potential, but also hampered by infrastructural and security challenges. This meeting is therefore a continuation of proactive diplomacy led by the Kingdom, which places African integration at the heart of its strategy. In this perspective, the heads of diplomacy of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger reaffirmed their commitment to “accelerate” the initiative proposed by Morocco. By facilitating access to the Atlantic, Morocco in turn hears, not only boosting Sahelian economies, but also consolidating its role of logistics and commercial hub between Africa and the rest of the world. In a win-win report that makes prosper.
M. Sanogo
