In a bold bid to break free from the economic and logistical stranglehold imposed by their political estrangement from West Africa’s main regional bloc, the military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are throwing their weight behind a Moroccan initiative that could redefine trade routes across the Sahel and beyond.
Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of the three landlocked Alliance of Sahel States (AES) met with Moroccan officials in Marrakech and expressed enthusiastic support for Morocco’s Atlantic Initiative—an ambitious plan proposed by King Mohammed VI to provide these inland nations with access to global markets via Moroccan seaports on the Atlantic Ocean. The move is a strategic counter to the mounting economic pressure the AES bloc faces after their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional body they accuse of being manipulated by foreign powers and unsympathetic to their domestic security challenges.
For Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have found themselves increasingly cut off since a string of military coups redrew the political map of the region, the need for alternative commercial corridors has become urgent. Trade disruptions and border closures imposed by ECOWAS have strained their economies, especially for vital imports such as food, fuel, and medical supplies. In this context, the Moroccan initiative represents a lifeline—both economically and diplomatically.
The proposal envisions the development of trade and transport infrastructure linking Sahelian capitals to Morocco’s Atlantic ports, such as Dakhla and Casablanca. According to Rabat, this could involve building new railways and highways, as well as strengthening customs and logistics frameworks. For the AES countries, this would not only mean an end to reliance on ports in ECOWAS member states like Benin and Togo but also greater autonomy in crafting foreign policy and economic partnerships.
Morocco’s pitch is not solely humanitarian or infrastructural—it is also deeply political. The Atlantic Initiative is part of Morocco’s broader effort to deepen its influence in Africa and solidify its standing as a gateway between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. For years, Morocco has steadily built diplomatic capital across the continent, investing in agriculture, banking, and renewable energy in dozens of African countries. Now, it appears poised to leverage that soft power into hard infrastructure—cementing long-term alliances and possibly winning support for its contested claims over Western Sahara in the process.
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Analysts say the growing ties between Rabat and the AES states mark a geopolitical realignment that reflects not just regional tensions, but also broader shifts in global diplomacy. In recent months, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have drawn closer to Russia and distanced themselves from traditional Western partners, most notably France. Aligning with Morocco, a country that maintains a careful balance between the West and the Global South, could be a calculated move to diversify their diplomatic portfolio while circumventing isolation.
Critics, however, caution that the plan may face steep logistical and political hurdles. Building the proposed infrastructure would require enormous financial resources and long-term stability—something that remains elusive in the Sahel, where jihadist insurgencies continue to wreak havoc. Moreover, any Moroccan-led project that passes through the disputed territory of Western Sahara is likely to stir tensions with Algeria, a staunch defender of Sahrawi independence and a traditional rival of Morocco. This could complicate regional buy-in and raise questions about the viability of the plan.
Still, the momentum behind the Atlantic Initiative seems to be growing. The foreign ministers of the AES states publicly declared their readiness to “engage in concrete planning” with Moroccan counterparts and hinted at the formation of joint task forces to advance the project. While few specifics have been released so far, the mere announcement of this alignment sends a message to ECOWAS and the international community: the AES states are actively pursuing alternatives and are unwilling to remain boxed in by sanctions and political isolation. What remains to be seen is whether this proposal will translate into action on the ground. If implemented, the Atlantic Initiative could reshape the economic geography of West Africa, offering a new trade corridor that bypasses old political constraints. For Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, it could mark the beginning of a new era—one defined less by dependency and more by strategic recalibration in a rapidly changing world.
