Report: Morocco, buffer against Sahel risks with Sahara as Atlantic gateway

A recent report from Panamanian news outlet En Segundos, released on Monday, highlighted Morocco’s Royal initiative, emphasizing its potential to transform the Sahara into a pivotal port hub.

This ambitious project aims to establish a special economic zone, fostering economic collaboration with Sahel countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.

Morocco, as a stable country described in the same source, continues to serve as a buffer against the risks of the Sahel, given its strategically vital position in West Africa and along the Atlantic facade.

The report further highlighted Morocco’s crucial role in West Africa for international partners, particularly the European Union and Spain. It stated that these two partners rely on Morocco, along with Senegal and Mauritania, to combat illegal immigration.

Speaking of the royal initiative, put forward by King Mohamed VI,  the report mentioned that it aims to turn the territory into a gateway to Central Sub-Saharan countries and, consequently, to the Atlantic Ocean.

In this regard, Morocco is undertaking numerous projects in the Sahara, ranging from road construction to port development and industrial zones.

The same source further highlighted other projects Morocco is involved in, such as the $10 billion investment aimed at enhancing connectivity between Western Sahara and the rest of Africa.

Among these projects, the Dakhla Atlantique port aims to promote direct trade between Morocco and its African partners, with an investment of approximately $1.2 billion.

The report also mentioned the $1 billion, 1,000-kilometer highway from Tiznit to Dakhla, which is still underway, along with two logistical platforms at the El Guergarate and Bir Gandus border posts with Mauritania.

It underscored that the connectivity of African countries aims to bolster an industrial logistic zone dubbed the West Africa Zone.