Morocco’s Royal Atlantic Initiative is needed now more than ever

With increasing influence from China, Russia and Turkey across the Sahel and with France pulling back from the region, it seems appropriate that Africa finds, to quote the Ghanaian economist George Ayittey, ‘African solutions to African problems.”

This week I was interested to hear Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita speaking ahead of the elections for the new AU leadership, explaining how he saw his country as a way for the Kingdom to help Africa prosper; noting that Morocco does not seek to acquire leadership in Africa, but rather aims to empower Africa with leadership.

It came in the same week that the Moroccan parliament met with the presidents of the national parliaments of African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean to discuss the way forward for the Royal Atlantic Initiative.

It was in November 2023 that King Mohammed VI used the 48^th anniversary of the Green March, a mass demonstration that had paved the way for Morocco to take control of Western Sahara, to announce the launch of the Atlantic Initiative. 

At the heart of this new regional outreach effort is the opportunity to transform the geostrategic landscape of the Sahel and Sub-Saharan regions, by essentially linking landlocked Mali, Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso to the Atlantic seaports. 

It makes a lot of economic sense too, as Morocco is increasingly seen as a strategic location, with a growing expertise in infrastructure development, it will, as King Mohammed VI put it, “enable the Sahel countries to have access to the Atlantic Ocean.” It involves making Morocco’s road, port, and rail infrastructure available to them and implementing large-scale development projects.

It is an ambitious plan for Morocco to basically reconnect the Sahel to global supply chains via its Atlantic coastline. A key component of this initiative will be the Dakhla Atlantic Port project, a US$1.2 billion deep-water facility designed to handle large cargo volumes and serve as a vital gateway for Sahelian countries to access global markets. With operations set to begin by 2029, the port is a good example of Morocco's long-term commitment to reshaping regional trade networks.  

The Sahel’s vast distances and dispersed population have prevented real progress in infrastructure investments, perpetuating a cycle of underdevelopment. Essentially with the Royal Atlantic Initiative, Morocco is helping develop a strategy for regional integration that addresses both physical infrastructure needs and broader economic requirements in the Sahel.

Also, part of the vision is the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) a US$25 billion energy project that aims to link Nigeria to Morocco through an extensive pipeline network traversing multiple West African countries, including Mauritania. The pipeline's importance is amplified by Europe’s increasing need to diversify its gas supply, looking to Africa, as uncertainty surrounds traditional transit networks. Beyond its role in gas transmission, the AAGP holds broader significance, offering opportunities for industrial development along its route. 

While Morocco does not seek out the role of African leadership it is playing an important role across the Maghreb and the region in its outlook.

*Kieran Baker is an Emmy award winning journalist who has started up various networks including Al Jazeera English, Bloomberg TV Africa and TRT World.