U.S. Think-Tank: Morocco’s Royal Atlantic Initiative seeks to reshape Sahel & Sub-Saharan regions

The initiative launched by King Mohammed VI offering Atlantic access to African landlocked countries seeks to reshape the geostrategic landscape of the Sahel and Sub-Saharan regions amid a wave of coups fueled by economic and social decline, said a U.S. think-tank.

In an analysis on the royal initiative, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the Atlantic Initiative is expected to contribute to the consolidation of political stability in Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Additionally, Morocco hopes that the initiative will enable it to more effectively address shared security challenges, such as cross-border terrorist networks and irregular migration flows, said the research paper.

By deploying soft power strategies—such as training programs for military and security forces, educational projects for imams and support for moderate religious schools, which play a significant role in the region’s political and economic decisions—Morocco aims to consolidate its security influence, underlined the Washington-based U.S. Think-tank.

Furthermore, the initiative seeks to tackle the intertwined challenges of security and development, with a focus on investment in agriculture, as well as the food and pharmaceutical industries in order to address the root causes of instability, added the American research center.

Furthermore, Morocco is building on its enhanced economic partnership with the region, a gateway to broader African markets. Moroccan exports to Africa increased from $300 million to more than $3 billion between 2004 and 2024.

Moreover, revenues from Moroccan companies investing in African countries have exceeded $2.5 billion, with a large proportion of these investments concentrated in the Sahel-Saharan countries, particularly Mali, the third-largest destination for Moroccan investments in Africa.

The North African Kingdom is also seeking to consolidate its leadership as the top investor in the region in critical sectors such as telecommunications, cement production, banking, services, renewable energy, mineral & natural gas exploration, infrastructures & logistics.

According to Carnegie Endowment, the Dakhla Atlantic Port, which is expected to be operational by 2029, will strengthen further Morocco’s cooperation ties with African countries, major consumer market for Moroccan products.

Morocco will have little difficulty securing financial backing for the Atlantic Initiative from the United States and Europe which are seeking regional partners to strengthen their strategic interests, said the analysis, noting that the Morocco-led Atlantic initiative for the Sahel is backed by the U.S. “Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation” initiative.