Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, received good news in April, 2025: The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and Morocco have reached an agreement on a trade initiative, allowing the AES to use Moroccan ports to access the Atlantic Ocean. Initial talks begun in 2023, and this trade deal comes as a solution to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposing trade restrictions on the AES, after it broke away from the community to form a new political alliance.
In recent months, the partnership between Morocco and the AES has strengthened, even as Mali, a member state of the AES continues to battle diplomatic tensions with Algeria; a country rivalled by Morocco. This trade initiative also serves as an open response to the AES independence and proactiveness in finding solution to trade barriers after their departure from the ECOWAS and the consequences that comes with such a move. Due to the AES position on the map; landlocked countries with no direct access to the sea, they relied on ECOWAS member states like Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal for maritime trade. An access to Morocco’s Atlantic Ocean gateway provides the chance for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger; countries of the AES, to engage with international markets.
It is important to note the financial implications of this new agreement and the feasibility of the initiative. Already, Morocco has invested about $1.2 billion dollars into their Atlantic port project in Darkhla, to facilitate the new trade partners. Although an attractive start, it remains to see its full implementation after operations begin in 2029, according to the Policy Center of the New South. In the meanwhile, the AES will still have to manage trade with ECOWAS state countries like Ghana for export purposes. For many years, Ghana and countries in the AES have traded in key commodities like textiles, cocoa, shea butter and fertilizer, amongst others. Despite this, inadequate road infrastructure, high transport costs remains a major reason for the diversification of the AES from trade partners such as Ghana and Sudan.
The partnership with Morocco, a country closer aligned to Russia and a source of military support to the AES also presents security concerns and allegations from the ECOWAS, as to how far and deep these partnerships remain commercial and not political. Morocco also has much to gain from this partnership, as they work to become a powerhouse of trade and resources in the Sahel, a competition they have been in with Algeria for a while. The Moroccan markets have favoured the Sahel states when it comes to trade, exempting their products from customs duties after entry.
Despite investments and a strong positive outlook from Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and the foreign ministers of the AES, it is not clear how exactly this new system of trade will be carried out after completed port projects. A route from the AES to the Atlantic Oceans looks easier on paper than in logistics, as these landlocked countries have countries like Algeria and the Mauritania to get around in order to access the ports of Morocco. There would also have to be complementary infrastructure projects in the Sahel states owing to a strong focus on financial sustainability and effective project coordination from each member. The success of these factors also hinges on good leadership and clear strategies in economic policies.
Greater Morocco’s foreign policy has expounded on their interest in the Sahel, and the AES should be applauded for their bold and strategic approach to strengthening new diplomatic ties and in Ibrahim Traore’s words “taking their destiny into their whole hands”. Morocco’s Royal Atlantic Initiative, when fully realised, presents a fresh chance for the AES to turn around its economic isolation, increasing import values and economic competitiveness. It is also a testament to the desire for these two entities to foster a shared prosperity and enhance co-development. Africa watches on.
Featured image: Photo by Kashawn Hernandez on Unsplash
