Since the Moroccan Western Sahara conflict began, Mauritania has become a crucial player in the Maghreb region. Its strategic location between Algeria and Morocco positions it as an essential participant in resolution efforts. However, the interplay of its political and economic interests with various stakeholders complicates its involvement in the peace process, especially under foreign pressure from Algeria. Recently, North African studies experts have observed a notable improvement in relations between Rabat and Nouakchott, underscored by a recent meeting where King Mohammed VI welcomed Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani during his unofficial visit to Morocco.
The relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and Mauritania epitomize a decisive concept for regional integration rooted in a rich history and mutual strategic cooperation. These significant ties originated on essential concepts that significantly impact security, stability, and development in the West and North African regions, framed within a new perspective that addresses contemporary challenges and future opportunities. Over the years, Morocco and Mauritania have established a path for strategic collaboration through a comprehensive partnership that includes cultural, religious, economic, political, and security aspects. This alliance connects history with the present and future. In terms of security, the interests of both nations converge on vital issues that reflect the daily challenges they face. Their geographical closeness links the Sahel-Sahara and North Africa, placing them at the forefront of security threats such as terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking, and illegal migration.
In this regard, Mauritania finds itself in a critical geopolitical position due to its border relations with Algeria to the east and the Moroccan Sahara to the north. More importantly, it faces pressure from Algerian decision-makers who seek to undermine the Kingdom of Morocco within its Maghreb and regional context. Despite these tensions, Mauritania maintains a stance of positive neutrality in the Moroccan Sahara dispute and aims to remain low-profile throughout this issue. It is also engaged in initiatives that could help foster a new political and economic atmosphere in the region, such as its joint participation in the gas pipeline linking Nigeria and West African countries to Europe and the Atlantic Moroccan Initiative. However, the security and geopolitical challenges facing the Sahel and Sub-Saharan regions, along with its shared interests with the Kingdom of Morocco—particularly the Guerguerat crossing, which significantly contributes to trade transactions—enable Mauritania to play an active role in mitigating the escalating political crisis between Morocco and Algeria.
The essence of Moroccan-Mauritanian strategic ties reflects an alignment of strategic perspectives focused on regional integration and sustainable development. Developing Morocco’s southern provinces is crucial to advancing the regional economic strategy within this framework. This initiative, launched by Morocco with a forward-looking vision under King Mohammed VI’s leadership, adopts a unified approach to transform the southern provinces into a vital economic corridor linking Africa and Europe. Key projects, such as modern infrastructure, industrial zones, and renewable energy, highlight these regions’ potential to become global hubs for investment and trade. Among the strategic plans that embody this concept is the Atlantic maritime port of Dakhla, which marks a pivotal moment in enhancing maritime connectivity between Africa, Europe, and South America. The Atlantic port acts as a logistics platform for trade exchanges, strengthening the southern provinces’ capacity to attract global investment and stimulate regional business.
From Mauritania’s viewpoint, this project also presents an opportunity to strengthen economic ties with the Kingdom of Morocco and leverage this seaport to access global markets. The agreements between the two parties establish a geopolitical environment that positions both nations at the heart of regional stability. Moroccan-Mauritanian strategic collaboration extends beyond sustainable economic development, encompassing coordinated efforts on security and stability issues. This partnership has the potential to foster joint initiatives that enhance both states’ roles as a fundamental cornerstone of the regional power balance, whether by significantly contributing to regional security or by launching impactful projects that facilitate African integration.
Diplomatically speaking, states demonstrate cooperation on regional and international issues through coordination in global forums, particularly concerning peace, security, stability, and development. As a key player in the Maghreb arena, Mauritania plays a strategic role in maintaining regional balances, making a significant rapprochement with the Kingdom of Morocco essential for both countries and their national security. The region’s challenges, whether related to security or jurisdiction, require a strategic vision that prioritizes long-term goals beyond immediate interests. In this context, fully leveraging the close interrelations between Morocco and Mauritania could serve as a model for regional cooperation, enhancing the ability of both nations and the region to address common current and future challenges. Dynamic sectors such as green energy, agriculture, fisheries, and eco-tourism offer substantial opportunities for collaborative economic sustainability between the two states, fostering job creation and improving the quality of life for both populations.
Cooperating with this neighboring state will enhance sustainable development across various dynamic areas, including cybersecurity and advanced surveillance and investigation technologies. This collaboration will enable both states to strengthen their defense capabilities and address emerging challenges. Coordinated efforts to tackle non-traditional threats, such as arms smuggling, cross-border terrorism, and the effects of climate change on food and water security, will enhance the region’s resilience to crises. Military and naval cooperation will cultivate a broader network of regional alliances involving the Sahel and West African nations to establish a unified security framework. Emphasizing joint training and the sharing of expertise will equip the armed forces of both countries to manage unforeseen challenges. Thus, the strategic relationship between the Kingdom of Morocco and Mauritania marks a significant step in creating an effective regional security system to confront the Sahel-Saharan region’s complex challenges.
Thus, the Kingdom of Moroccan-Mauritanian interrelationships give a promising paradigm of regional cooperation that blends a strategic approach with shared interests. Major undertakings like the Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Open Atlantic Initiative for the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa introduce the vigor of this relationship and its competence to offer new innovative way-outs to regional experiments. Under the Moroccan Mohammed VI and in coordination with regional partners such as Mauritania, this relationship has the potential to become a model for African cooperation that fosters stability and development across the entire continent.
In conclusion, it is essential to recognize that, despite their deep historical roots and cultural integration, Moroccan-Mauritanian relations require a flexible and open-minded political framework to realize their strategic partnership and capabilities fully. Sustainable political success between the two states can occur only if a robust economic framework promotes a blend of strategic interests. This framework must feature a comprehensive vision that emphasizes the mutual development of key financial and sustainable projects, such as regional infrastructure, to reshape the geopolitical and economic landscape of North Africa and the Maghreb region, turning it into an inspiring model for a more integrated and prosperous continent.