Mauritanian President Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani, who has been in Morocco since Wednesday, December 18 as part of a private visit, was warmly received on Friday, December 20 by King Mohammed VI at the Royal Palace in Casablanca. According to a press release from the royal cabinet, “cThis meeting is part of the strong relations of trust and cooperation linking the two countries and the bonds of sincere fraternity uniting the two brother peoples. On this occasion, “the two heads of state welcomed the positive developments experienced by the Moroccan-Mauritanian partnership in all areas.»
This meeting was also an opportunity for the two leaders to affirm their determination to develop strategic projects between the two neighboring countries and especially to coordinate their contributions within the framework of royal initiatives in Africa.
It allowed the Mauritanian president to display his support for the two structuring projects initiated by King Mohammed VI and which will have positive impacts on the economies of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), countries Sahel, Mauritania and Morocco. Among these projects, that of the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Initiative for the access of the Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean feature prominently.
Read also: African-Atlantic gas pipeline, the Sahel… King Mohammed VI receives the President of Mauritania
The accession of Mauritania, a real cord between Morocco and the ECOWAS countries, to the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline is essential. This membership is also fundamental in relations between Morocco and the Sahelian countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad).
During this meeting, King Mohammed VI and Mauritanian President Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani affirmed their determination to develop strategic projects and coordinate their contributions within the framework of royal initiatives, particularly the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Atlantic Initiative, two structuring projects which will positively impact the African economies of the region and beyond.
Mauritania's membership in the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, which will pass through Mauritanian territorial waters before joining those of Morocco, was effective since October 2022 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Morocco and Nigeria. Mauritania will be the big beneficiary of this gas pipeline. The country will become a gas exporter in 2025 with the start-up of the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field which it shares with Senegal.
Read also: African Atlantic Gas Pipeline: ECOWAS has made progress in the realization of this structuring megaproject
This deposit will allow the extraction of 2.5 million tonnes of liquefied gas per year. In addition to this important deposit of 400 billion cubic meters of gas, Mauritania also has another much more important site at Bir-Allah, approximately 60 km north of the GTA field and 100 kilometers off the Mauritanian coast. .
It is a world-class deposit with reserves estimated at between 80,000 and 110,000 billion cubic feet, or between 2,260 and 3,100 billion cubic meters of gas. By combining the GTA and Bir Allah deposits, Mauritania finds itself with gas reserves estimated between 120,000 and 160,000 billion cubic feet of gas, i.e. the 4th largest gas reserves on the continent behind Nigeria, Mozambique, and Algeria. Suffice it to say that the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline is welcome for Mauritania. Once these two deposits are exploited, Nouakchott will have a competitive means of exporting its gas to the European market.
Route of the African-Atlantic gas pipeline
On this project, during the 93rd ordinary session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held on December 12 and 13, 2024 in Abudja (Nigeria), the President of the Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, stressed that progress has been made. achieved in the merger of the West Africa gas pipeline extension project with the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project following the adoption of an intergovernmental agreement for the African-Atlantic gas pipeline. This 6,800 km long infrastructure, including 5,100 km at sea, will allow the transport of 30 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year.
Read also: Amina Benkhadra: how the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline will stimulate growth and regional integration
In addition to the gas pipeline, Mauritania has also demonstrated its support for the Royal Initiative aimed at promoting access to the Atlantic Ocean for the Sahel States. Announced by King Mohammed VI in November 2023 on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March, this initiative aims to strengthen the economic integration and sustainable development of these landlocked Sahelian countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in their facilitating access to the Atlantic. Ultimately, this initiative will lead to the creation of a strategic economic corridor which will make it possible to overcome the geographical isolation of these countries. Access to the ocean will also allow them to diversify the supply ports which will also be the starting point for their products towards the international market by taking advantage of Moroccan road and airport infrastructure.
Mauritania being the link between Morocco and the Sahelian countries, its membership in this initiative will accelerate its implementation for the benefit of the countries of the region. Morocco is already preparing for this with the construction of the express road in its Saharan provinces and the port of Dakhla Atlantique currently under construction. The Kingdom also displays its “determination to develop strategic projects for the connection between the two neighboring countries”, according to the press release. This could result in support from the Kingdom for the establishment of infrastructure necessary for this initiative on Mauritanian territory.
Read also: ECOWAS will sign, next December in Abuja, the agreement for the construction of the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline
Ultimately, this meeting between King Mohammed VI and President Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani helped to dispel the doubts surrounding Mauritania's accession to the Atlantic Initiative. Now, those who thought that these projects were just a dream doomed to failure must reconsider. The royal communiqué issued following the meeting between the two heads of state is unequivocal. Instead of weakening Mauritania's regional position, this initiative, already marked by Moroccan truckers who have been supplying Sahelian countries with vegetables, fruits and other products for decades, will on the contrary strengthen the Mauritanian position, which is proves to be a nerve center in this multimodal corridor: maritime, road and rail.
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