Morocco expands influence in the Sahel as Algeria faces setbacks, report says

Morocco is increasing its influence across the Sahel, while Algeria’s traditional foothold in the region is weakening, according to a new report from the Middle East Institute for Policy and Economy. 

The study points to recent political and security upheavals that have reshaped regional alliances, creating new opportunities for Morocco.

One major blow for Algeria came when Niger abandoned its plan for a trans-Saharan gas pipeline connecting Algiers to Nigeria. 

The project had been a key part of Algeria’s strategy to supply Europe and counter Morocco’s competing Atlantic pipeline initiative, which Morocco actively supports.

Diplomatic isolation is compounding Algeria’s challenges. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have all recalled their ambassadors from Algiers following Algeria’s destruction of a Malian drone in April, a move branded as an “aggressive act” by the Sahel States Alliance. 

Mali also withdrew from the Joint Operational Staff Committee (CEMOC), which coordinates security efforts between Algeria, Mauritania, and several Sahelian nations.

Meanwhile, Morocco is building its network by strengthening economic ties with regional partners, especially Mauritania, and launching the “Atlantic Initiative” in December 2023. The project offers landlocked Sahelian states, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Niger, access to Moroccan ports, turning the Atlantic coast into a corridor for economic integration.

Energy projects remain central to Morocco’s strategy. The planned Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, stretching 5,600 kilometers and crossing 15 countries, aims to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually to Morocco.

Regional military alliances are also shifting. Military juntas in Niamey, Bamako, and Ouagadougou are increasingly partnering with Russia and Turkey, which supply drones and other advanced equipment crucial for surveillance and intelligence operations. 

Algeria’s approach, favoring political solutions over military action against armed groups, is losing appeal among Sahelian states, as illustrated by Mali’s 2024 withdrawal from the 2015 peace agreement with Tuareg rebels signed in Algiers.