Morocco has proposed a strategic project to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) aimed at providing Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger with access to the Atlantic Ocean. The three member countries have officially expressed their support for the initiative.
Seeking new trade routes following their withdrawal from ECOWAS, the Sahelian states could soon gain access to Morocco’s Atlantic port infrastructure. This major development comes thanks to a proposal by King Mohammed VI, who received the foreign ministers of the three countries on Monday, April 28, 2025.
According to the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP), the Sahelian diplomats welcomed the King’s initiative, expressing their “full support” for the project and their desire to expedite its implementation. During the meeting, the ministers also presented the institutional and operational progress of the AES, an alliance formed to strengthen cooperation among its members.
This Moroccan offer marks a significant shift in regional dynamics, as the Sahelian alliance seeks to overcome its geographic isolation amid ongoing tensions with Algeria.