The absence of Mauritanian representatives at the Moroccan-organised meeting attended by Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad sparked rumours of a rift between Nouakchott and Rabat. The project promoted by King Mohammed VI and others African leaders to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for the Sahel countries is one of Morocco priorities, and not including Mauritania in the meeting last December began to generate a stir that has now been completely dissipated.

1. Visit of the Mauritanian Foreign Minister to Rabat
2. Algeria's efforts to deter Mauritania
3. Mauritania chooses Morocco

Visit of the Mauritanian Foreign Minister to Rabat

To silence all those voices that pointed to a hint of a crisis between Mauritania and Morocco, the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, has travelled to Rabat to meet with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. Marzouk took the opportunity to show his support for the project promoted by Mohammed VI and his country's willingness to facilitate the connection of the Sahel region with the Atlantic.

For his part, Bourita praised Mauritania's work in recent years, pointing out that "it has become a necessary pole of stability in the Sahel region and in the West African region". Morocco believes that improving "the problems and difficulties faced by sister countries in the Sahel" can only be done through a vision of unity and cooperation. For this reason, the focus is on improving access to the Atlantic ports to boost the economic sector of the Sahelians.

The representatives of the two countries emphasised the coincidence of visions on the project. Mauritania is keen to strengthen its relationship with Morocco in view of the growth that the Alawi kingdom is experiencing. This is despite efforts by its Algerian neighbour to halt efforts that are establishing Morocco as a regional leader.

Algeria's efforts to deter Mauritania

Algeria watches Morocco's relentless rise on the international stage with trepidation. It seeks to prevent the Alawi kingdom from gaining further prominence, and has tried to dissuade Mauritania from being part of this initiative, but so far does not seem to have succeeded.

Algeria still hopes to wrest influence from Morocco in the Western Sahara portfolio. Algiers still hopes to reach the Atlantic from Tindouf, even though the distance is around 400 kilometres. However, Mauritania does not seem likely to succumb to Algerian pressure for several reasons.

First, because its partnership with Morocco is growing stronger by the day. And second, because it is interested in being part of a project that can bring it great benefits and which, moreover, has the support of several important actors in the region, such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad. Rabat has given the importance that the Sahelian countries demanded with an ambitious project that Algeria, despite its relentless efforts, will not be able to scupper.

Mauritania chooses Morocco

What is clear to all parties is that Morocco's interests - now shared by Mauritania - are not compatible with those of Algeria. Since the liberation of the Guerguerat border crossing between the two countries in 2020, Nouakchott's need to boost its trade network and economic relations with Rabat has increased.

The Sahel-Atlantic access project is a new step on the long road that has gradually formed a solid partnership. In fact, since Mohamed Ould Sheikh Ghazouani became president in 2019, ties between the two countries have grown considerably. Ghazouani himself has insisted on numerous occasions on the importance of relations with the Moroccan administration and his willingness to deepen them.