Morocco Hosts CSS Foreign Ministers as Atlantic Initiative Deepens Ties with Sahel States

King Mohammed VI of Morocco has received the foreign ministers of the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS)—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—during a high-level meeting in Rabat on Monday.

The talks highlighted the countries’ shared vision for regional development, peace, and economic integration, with a strong emphasis on the Moroccan-led “Atlantic Initiative.”

The foreign ministers expressed strong support for King Mohammed VI’s Atlantic Initiative, launched in November 2023, which aims to offer landlocked Sahel states direct access to global trade routes via Morocco’s Atlantic ports. The initiative is seen as a potential game-changer in rebalancing geopolitical and economic dynamics in northwest Africa.

The problems in the Sahel cannot be resolved by security and military measures alone, but rather by an approach based on cooperation and shared development,” King Mohammed VI said at the launch of the initiative.

Niger’s Foreign Minister Bakary Sangaré said the discussions with the Moroccan monarch focused on individual national contexts as well as the broader development of the Sahel Confederation.

We discussed the situation in each country individually, then the situation within the Sahel Alliance. Each of us briefed King Mohammed VI on the evolution of the political situation in each of our countries, the development of the Sahel Confederation, and the progress that has been achieved,” he said.

Sangaré praised Morocco’s stance during times of crisis, highlighting that Rabat was one of the first capitals to voice non-interference and diplomatic support amid tensions with ECOWAS.

Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop applauded the Atlantic Initiative for providing alternative maritime access and opening new economic corridors. He described the Rabat meeting as “an extension of the historical and strategic bonds linking Morocco with our three nations.”

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Traoré echoed similar sentiments, underscoring Morocco’s “great willingness to forge new partnerships with its African brothers.”

He confirmed that his government was already working on the implementation of the Atlantic Initiative, which he said “will go beyond physical access to the sea, transforming our local economies into globally integrated markets.”

The CSS ministers’ visit comes at a time of shifting alliances in the region. The Sahel states have formally withdrawn from ECOWAS and distanced themselves from Western influence, and strengthening ties with Russia and other emerging partners.

Meanwhile, relations between the CSS bloc and Algeria have worsened, with accusations of interference and support for destabilising elements.

Morocco’s growing leadership role in the region was also evident last December, when it successfully mediated the release of four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso.

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