The foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger reaffirmed on Monday in Rabat their countries’ full support for Morocco’s initiative to grant Sahel states access to the Atlantic Ocean.
During their meeting with King Mohammed VI, the ministers — Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré (Burkina Faso), Abdoulaye Diop (Mali), and Bakary Yaou Sangaré (Niger) — conveyed their leaders’ gratitude for Morocco’s efforts in supporting regional development. They expressed special appreciation for the royal strategic initiative aimed at connecting the Sahel to the Atlantic.
The meeting also reviewed progress made in the institutional development of the Alliance of Sahel States, which unites the three countries in a framework for regional integration.
This gathering builds on prior efforts, notably the December 2023 agreement in Marrakesh to establish national task forces to explore the implementation of the initiative.
The initiative falls within Morocco’s broader South-South cooperation strategy, aiming to enhance economic and logistical integration with the Sahel countries.
