South-South cooperation in Moroccan foreign policy: A strategic vision and active engagement

The African dimension is one of the fundamental foundations of Morocco’s foreign policy, as it seeks to strengthen its presence as a major actor on the continent by developing strategic partnerships based on South-South cooperation. This approach reflects Morocco’s vision of achieving sustainable development and promoting the economic independence of African countries, away from dependence on external powers. King Mohammed VI has enshrined this path by launching major projects in the fields of economy, infrastructure, and education, in addition to supporting regional stability and security.

Over the past two decades, Morocco’s foreign policy has undergone fundamental shifts, moving from an approach based on traditional bilateral relations to a more open strategy based on strengthening multilateral partnerships and active involvement in continental institutions.
Morocco’s return to the African Union in 2017, after an absence of more than three decades, enabled it to strengthen its position as a key player in continental integration and contribute to finding solutions to African conflicts.
In addition, Morocco has concluded hundreds of bilateral and multilateral agreements with African countries in strategic areas such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and financial services, which has contributed to strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing trade ties within the continent. Morocco has also organized African parliamentary and economic conferences and forums, most recently the “Meeting of the Heads of Parliamentarians of the Atlantic States” and the “Second Forum of the Heads of Foreign Affairs Committees of African Parliaments”, which reflect the active engagement of parliamentary diplomacy with the Kingdom’s strategic vision, reflecting the will to build a space for dialogue and promote political and legislative cooperation between the countries of the continent.

King Mohammed VI has always emphasized in his speeches that South-South cooperation is not just a diplomatic option, but an integrated strategy aimed at achieving sustainable economic and social development in Africa. This vision is based on three main interrelated pillars, including economic development and investment, support for security and stability, and the humanitarian and religious dimension.

In the economic sphere, Morocco has launched major projects to promote African integration, most notably the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, which aims to secure energy needs and promote energy cooperation between West African countries. Moroccan banks have also contributed to supporting continental financial integration by expanding their investments in many African countries, providing greater opportunities to finance development projects. In addition, Morocco has worked to transfer its agricultural and technological expertise to African countries within the framework of enhancing food security and empowering farmers with modern technologies that help to achieve sustainable productivity.

At the level of security and stability, Morocco has been actively involved in peacekeeping efforts and the fight against terrorism and extremism within the African continent. This role is based on Morocco’s belief in the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, as conflicts and separatism are among the main obstacles to achieving sustainable development. In this context, Morocco calls for strengthening security and intelligence cooperation among African countries to face common challenges and work to consolidate the concept of the national state as the main guarantor of stability.

In addition to the economic and security dimensions, Morocco attaches great importance to the human and religious dimension of African cooperation. Morocco has launched several initiatives to promote the values of tolerance and moderation within the continent, including the establishment of the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Guides and Mentors, which attracts students from various African countries with the aim of spreading moderate religious discourse and combating extremism. Morocco also grants a large number of scholarships annually to African students, which contributes to the formation of young elites capable of leading the development of their countries. In addition, Morocco has always provided humanitarian and medical aid to African countries affected by crises and natural disasters, emphasizing its true solidarity with the African people.

Despite efforts to promote African cooperation, the continent still faces major challenges that hinder development, including armed conflicts, climate change, economic nuances, and poor infrastructure… However, positive economic indicators, such as the projection of a growth rate of 4.3% in 2025, reflect the continent’s enormous potential, which can be sustainably invested to promote economic integration and raise the standard of living of its people.

In this context, King Mohammed VI has expressed on more than one occasion that Africa has all the ingredients that make it the continent of the future by excellence, thanks to its rich natural resources, its ambitious youth, and its strategic location that makes it a major pivot in the global economic system. In light of the increasing international competition for the continent, and for these reasons, Morocco continues to work to strengthen its role as a reliable partner capable of building balanced partnerships that achieve mutual benefit for the countries of the continent.

The African dimension is a key pillar of Morocco’s foreign policy, as it seeks to promote South-South cooperation through major development projects, African partnerships based on common interests and sustainable development, and active involvement in efforts to achieve security and stability in order to contribute to building a strong and prosperous Africa that believes in its capabilities and potential and is able to play a key role in the international arena, free from any external dependence.