Latest news with #SahelStatesAlliance
Asharq Al-Awsat
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sahel States Back Morocco's Sea Access Initiative, Commit to Accelerating its Implementation
The foreign ministers of the Sahel States Alliance, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, welcomed an initiative launched by Moroccan King Mohammed VI in 2023 to facilitate their access to the Atlantic Ocean, reaffirming their full support for and commitment to accelerating its implementation. The Moroccan news agency, MAP, said the King received on Monday the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, and Niger, Bakary Yaou Sangaré. The meeting came within the framework of the Kingdom's strong and longstanding relations with the three countries, ties that have always been characterized by sincere friendship, mutual respect, active solidarity, and fruitful cooperation. MAP said the Alliance's foreign ministers welcomed Morocco's actions and initiatives aimed at promoting the economic and social development of the countries of the region and their peoples. 'The ministers particularly welcomed the initiative launched by the King to facilitate access for the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, reaffirming their full support for and commitment to accelerating its implementation,' the news agency stated. In 2023, the King suggested to launch an international initiative to enable the Sahel countries to have access to the Atlantic Ocean using Moroccan ports stretching along the Western Sahara coastline, a region disputed with the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. So far, Morocco has not announced a timetable for the implementation of the initiative, which hinges on upgrading infrastructure in the Sahel countries. Following the meeting with the King, Mali's foreign minister said: 'We expressed our appreciation for the Royal initiative aimed at enabling Atlantic Ocean access to our three countries, to diversify our access to the sea and to reinforce peace and security.' Niger's foreign minister described Morocco's initiative as 'a windfall for the three landlocked countries.'
The Star
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Moroccan king receives foreign ministers of Sahel States Alliance
King Mohammed VI of Morocco received the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger which are member states of the Sahel States Alliance at the Royal Palace in Rabat on Monday. The high-level audience reflects Morocco's deep-rooted ties with the Sahel region and reinforces the Kingdom's growing role in regional cooperation and development. The ministers in attendance were Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, and Burkinabe Nationals Abroad of Burkina Faso; Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali; and Bakary Yaou Sangaré, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Nigeriens Abroad of Niger's Transitional Government. According to an official statement, the visit took place within the context of Morocco's 'strong and longstanding relations' with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which are built on 'sincere friendship, mutual respect, active solidarity, and fruitful cooperation.' During the audience, the foreign ministers conveyed to King Mohammed VI the appreciation of their respective Heads of State for his continued support and engagement with the Sahel region. They commended the King's numerous initiatives aimed at fostering the economic and social development of their nations. Of particular significance was the ministers' endorsement of the King's strategic initiative to grant the Sahel countries access to the Atlantic Ocean — a move seen as critical to enhancing trade, infrastructure development, and regional integration. The ministers reaffirmed their full support for the initiative and expressed a shared commitment to accelerating its implementation. The meeting also included discussions on the institutional and operational progress of the Alliance of Sahel States, which serves as a framework for integration and coordination among Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Established in 2023, the Alliance aims to strengthen political and security cooperation among its members following their withdrawal from ECOWAS. This visit underscores Morocco's emerging diplomatic role as a key partner in West Africa's efforts to confront regional challenges and build new avenues of collaboration. The Royal Palace's reception of the Sahel ministers highlights the Kingdom's commitment to supporting African-led solutions for development and stability in the region.
Ya Biladi
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
King Mohammed VI receives Foreign Ministers from the Sahel States Alliance
King Mohammed VI with the Foreign Ministers of the Sahel Alliance States / Ph. MAP Estimated read time: 1' On Monday, King Mohammed VI received the foreign ministers of the three member countries of the Sahel States Alliance at the Royal Palace in Rabat: Mr. Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré of Burkina Faso, Mr. Abdoulaye Diop of Mali, and Mr. Bakary Yaou Sangaré of Niger. The meeting highlighted the longstanding historical ties between Morocco and the three brotherly nations, founded on sincere friendship, mutual respect, active solidarity, and fruitful cooperation, according to an official statement. During the audience, the Sahelian diplomats conveyed to the gratitude of their Heads of State for King Mohammed VI's continued attention to the Sahel region and for royal initiatives supporting the economic and social development of their countries and populations. The ministers also praised King Mohammed VI's initiative to facilitate access for the Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean, expressing their full support and commitment to accelerating its implementation. Additionally, they presented the King with an update on the institutional and operational progress of the Sahel States Alliance, established as a framework for integration and coordination among its three member states. It is worth noting that the three Sahel countries are currently experiencing heightened diplomatic tensions with Algeria.
Morocco World
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Algeria Completes New Military Air Base Near Moroccan Border
Doha – The Algerian military has unveiled its latest act of aggression, completing a new air base in Oum el Assel, brazenly positioned just 72 kilometers from the Moroccan border, according to reports from the Atlantic Observatory for Defense and Armament (AODA). Positioned menacingly near Tindouf at coordinates 28°52'55″N, 5°49'10″W, the base represents the latest escalation in Algeria's relentless militarization campaign targeting Morocco's eastern border, intensifying an already volatile situation in a blatant show of force. Satellite imagery exposed by AODA reveals two Russian-made MiG-29M2 fighter jets, armed with air-to-air missiles, poised in attack-ready positions at the facility, leaving no doubt about Algeria's hostile intentions. This provocative war machine includes extensive ammunition depots and combat infrastructure purposefully designed to accommodate additional Sukhoi warplanes, with runways specifically extended for aggressive military operations. The warmongering installation features an intrusive early warning radar station looming north of the main facility at coordinates 28°53'53″N, 5°47'22″W and 28°53'34″N, 5°46'48″W, establishing an aggressive surveillance presence aimed directly at Moroccan territory. Battle tanks have been deliberately transferred from Tindouf camps to fortify this threatening outpost, which emerged in late 2021 as part of Algeria's calculated military aggression against Morocco. Operating under Algeria's 3rd Military Region, the Oum el Assel base serves as just one piece in an alarming network of 25 military installations deliberately positioned to threaten Morocco's sovereignty. This aggressive military encirclement includes anti-aircraft batteries, artillery strongholds, armored divisions, and multiple combat-ready facilities, all strategically placed within striking distance of Moroccan territory, some provocatively stationed mere kilometers from the border. Read also: Morocco and Algeria: Neighbors Bound by History, But Doomed to Rivalry? Algeria's belligerent posturing extends well beyond its aggressive moves against Morocco. In a recent display of regional bullying, Algerian forces shot down a Malian drone and shut down their airspace to Mali, igniting a diplomatic crisis with the Sahel States Alliance. The timing of this military escalation appears deliberately orchestrated to coincide with legitimate French-Moroccan military exercises planned for September in Errachidia. Algeria's diplomatic corps has issued thinly veiled threats regarding these defensive exercises, codenamed 'Chergui 2025,' exposing its pattern of aggressive interference in sovereign military cooperation between other countries. This menacing military installation underscores Algeria's broader strategy of regional destabilization, exemplified by its web of approximately twenty air and ground bases concentrated near Moroccan territory. This includes two military bases with anti-aircraft defenses just 8 kilometers from the border, logistics barracks at 6 and 10 kilometers, infantry and artillery bases, an armored base with bunkers at 35 kilometers, and multiple other combat installations stretched along the frontier. The strategic placement and offensive capabilities of these facilities expose Algeria's unmistakable hostile intent, with systematic deployment of combat forces and surveillance systems targeting Morocco. Algeria's accelerating militarization campaign continues despite Morocco's persistent efforts to maintain regional stability and Rabat's mounting diplomatic successes in the Western Sahara dossier. Observers note that this systematic pattern of provocative military deployments risks igniting a comprehensive regional conflict that would not only affect Morocco but would spread throughout the African Sahel region. Algeria's military generals, having lost influence in the Sahel, appear to be pursuing what analysts describe as a suicidal strategy to cover up their diplomatic and military failures. The regime seems intent on psychologically preparing Algerian public opinion for direct confrontation with neighboring countries, after its stubborn stance and sequential aggressive behavior has already transformed three-quarters of Algeria's land borders into potential conflict zones. Tags: Algerian MilitaryMorocco Algeria borders
