The foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have formally backed a Moroccan initiative aimed at providing the landlocked Sahel nations with access to global markets via Morocco’s Atlantic ports. The announcement was made following high-level talks in Rabat with King Mohammed VI, underscoring deepening ties between the North African kingdom and the newly formed Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
The plan, first unveiled by Morocco in November 2023, gained new momentum after the three nations withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2024, citing political and economic grievances. ECOWAS had previously imposed trade restrictions in response to the military takeovers in all three countries.
Speaking after the meeting, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop emphasized that the initiative would help AES countries diversify their access to maritime trade and reduce dependence on traditional West African coastal routes, which have become politically strained.
Morocco, already a major investor in West African infrastructure and agriculture, views the project as part of a broader strategy to expand economic influence in the Sahel region while offering landlocked neighbors a reliable trade corridor amid shifting geopolitical alliances.
The development also reflects a larger realignment in West Africa, where Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have increasingly distanced themselves from Western powers, expelling French military forces and deepening ties with Russia.
Analysts say the Morocco-AES partnership could significantly alter regional trade dynamics, particularly if infrastructure projects connecting the Sahel to Atlantic ports are realized.
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