Landlocked Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger turn to Morocco for trade lifeline
The three landlocked countries, currently ruled by military juntas following recent coups, withdrew from the ECOWAS region in 2024 and have since sought alternative partnerships to circumvent trade restrictions and diplomatic isolation.
Since the formation of the AES alliance, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have distanced themselves from their traditional Western partners, expelled French forces, and deepened military cooperation with Russia.
Morocco's offer represents a vital lifeline for the AES, giving it potential access to global markets while reducing its dependence on ECOWAS border states such as Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal.
The Moroccan initiative, first announced in November 2023, provides access to Morocco's Atlantic ports to facilitate trade for the AES bloc.
The project is seen as a strategic move by Morocco to strengthen its regional influence while promoting economic development in the Sahel region.
"This initiative contributes to diversifying our access to the sea," Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told local media.
The Moroccan news agency described the meeting in Rabat as part of the kingdom's "strong and long-standing relations with the three brotherly countries of the Sahel Alliance." The support comes at a time of rising tensions between the AES bloc and Algeria, Morocco's regional rival.
Morocco has invested heavily in the region, particularly in agriculture and banking, and is currently building a $1 billion port in Dakhla, within the disputed Western Sahara territory, to develop its maritime infrastructure and assert control.
In December, Morocco played a key diplomatic role in brokering the release of four French citizens imprisoned in Burkina Faso. This came shortly after France recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, further aligning Rabat with the Sahel's emerging leadership.
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