Africa Takes Maritime Destiny in Hand Under HM the King's Impetus
Under the impetus of HM King Mohammed VI, Africa is taking its maritime destiny into its own hands and repositioning itself as a central player around this Atlantic space, French Euro-African relations expert Guillaume Chaban-Delmas said on Tuesday.
The statement was delivered in response to the Sovereign's message to participants in the "Africa for the Ocean" Summit, co-chaired on Monday in Nice by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Representative of His Majesty the King, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Behind this strategic review of the Kingdom's maritime role lie the economic, political and legal issues that will determine the continent's future, explained the French expert.
Pointing out that international trade by sea is still organized according to a logic inherited from the colonial period, Chaban-Delmas noted that the vision carried by the Kingdom, under the leadership of HM the King, "engages a dynamic of assertion of Africa as a sovereign power around an Atlantic axis carrying a new balance in the structuring of world trade."
According to the perspective defined by HM the King, he explained, the Atlantic Ocean is conceived as a space for South-South cooperation. The Dakhla Atlantic port, he continued, is fully in line with this regional dynamic.
He concluded that "the Atlantic must be a space for the co-construction of a legal framework that fully affirms the sovereignty of the African continent."
MAP: 10 June 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Maroc
an hour ago
- Maroc
French Expert Praises HM King Mohammed VI's Vision for Africa's Maritime Strategy
Franco-Swiss political analyst Jean Marie Heydt on Wednesday hailed the strategic vision of HM King Mohammed VI in strengthening Africa's maritime role, calling it a timely and ambitious initiative to harness the continent's oceanic potential. 'His Majesty King Mohammed VI has called for an innovative vision to develop Africa's oceanic assets,' Heydt said in comments to MAP following the Sovereign's message to the 'Africa for the Ocean' summit, held in Nice as part of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference. The message was delivered by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, representing HM the King at the event. Heydt described HM the King's approach as 'bold and strategic,' aimed at repositioning Africa within the global maritime landscape while promoting sustainable development and reinforcing African sovereignty over marine resources. Despite being home to 38 coastal states and vast maritime zones, Africa remains underrepresented in international ocean governance, Heydt noted. The Sovereign's appeal, he said, advocates for a strategic reassessment of the continent's maritime priorities, grounded in shared responsibility and enhanced regional cooperation. The Royal vision, he added, focuses on three main pillars: technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and strengthened regional collaboration. He also commended Morocco's 'exemplary' commitment to sustainability and marine protection. Heydt cited the launch of the Atlantic African States Process under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI as a key milestone. 'The initiative aims to establish collective governance along Africa's Atlantic seaboard,' he said. Regional cooperation will be essential to advancing this agenda, Heydt added, noting Morocco's strategic geographic position at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as its stability and diplomatic reach, make it a key facilitator. He concluded that HM the King's call for a renewed African maritime strategy reflects a comprehensive and forward-looking vision, positioning Morocco as a credible and influential actor in shaping Africa's ocean policy. MAP: 12 June 2025
Maroc
an hour ago
- Maroc
UNOC/Nice: Academy of Kingdom of Morocco Hosts Side Event on Africa-Mediterranean-Europe Cooperation for 'Sustainable Ocean Governance'
Sunday 12 October 2025 The Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco organized on Wednesday in Nice a side event dedicated to Africa-Mediterranean-Europe cooperation for "Sustainable Ocean Governance," on the sidelines of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), being held in Nice until June 13. Held under the theme "Cooperation for Sustainable Ocean Governance Bringing Together Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe," this scientific meeting brought together key stakeholders from Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe to contribute to building a strengthened partnership based on the "Roadmap to 2030: Co-piloting the Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership." On this occasion, the Academy's Executive Director, Bachir Tamer emphasized that the stakes of this partnership—and more broadly, regional cooperation and South-South and North-South collaboration—are at the heart of Morocco's priorities under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He highlighted in this regard the powerful message addressed by the Sovereign to participants of the "Africa for the Ocean" Summit, held on Monday as part of UNOC3 and delivered by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Representative of His Majesty the King, who co-chaired the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. In this message, he recalled, His Majesty the King underlined Morocco's call for a strategic reassessment of Africa's maritime role, built around three pillars: blue growth, enhanced South-South cooperation and regional integration around oceanic spaces, and effective maritime action through Atlantic synergies. Echoing this message, the president of the Moroccan Institute of Strategic Intelligence (IMIS) Abdelmalek Alaoui, stressed that "in line with the Royal message at UNOC, we must rethink the ocean not just as a resource to protect, but as a space to govern." Speaking at a roundtable on "Governance Facing the Challenges of the Blue Economy in Africa," Alaoui identified three key failures that currently hinder African ocean governance efforts: "fragmented and non-inclusive governance," "a lack of technological and informational sovereignty," and "the absence of a coordinated blue diplomacy." Alaoui also joined other voices who advocated for the promotion of research and science within public-private partnerships and interdisciplinary approaches to support African countries in facing ocean challenges, especially in terms of observation with open data to inform policymakers. Training and capacity-building for African countries in this area were also among the recommendations, with a special emphasis on involving youth and local actors in these efforts.
Maroc
an hour ago
- Maroc
Changsha/Forum on China-Africa Cooperation : Morocco Reiterates African Roots, Excluding Separatist Entity
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held on June 11 in Changsha, capital of China's Hunan province, followed on June 12 by the official inauguration of the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, once again clearly and unequivocally confirmed that the so-called 'sadr' has no legitimacy or place in Sino-African cooperation mechanisms. Like previous editions of the Forum, notably the Beijing Summit in September 2024, this event was attended exclusively by sovereign African states, members of the United Nations and recognized by the international community, as well as the People's Republic of China and the African Union Commission. In full compliance with the principles of sovereignty and international legality, the presence of a chimerical separatist entity was once again neither requested nor expected. This observation reinforces the Chinese partner's consistent position that only fully sovereign states participate in continental and international cooperation frameworks. Thus, the recurrent absence of the so-called "sadr" from serious international forums belies unfounded allegations of any participation by this entity in the strategic partnerships of the African continent. It confirms that this entity has never had, and never will have, a place either within a united Africa, or in its international relations based on the legitimacy, cooperation and sovereignty of states. MAP: 12 June 2025
