Morocco's rich historical connections with sub-Saharan Africa span social, economic, cultural, and religious realms, dating back centuries. Since its establishment in the 7th century, the Kingdom has fostered robust trade relations with West African kingdoms, facilitating the spread of Islam and introducing Moroccan Sufi traditions like the Tijaniyya order. These spiritual bonds have created a distinctive relationship between Morocco and countries from Senegal to Nigeria. Each year, thousands of West Africans pilgrimage to Fez to honor the mausoleum of the Tijaniyya order's founder, Sheikh Tijani.

A Key Player in Decolonization

Following the termination of a 44-year French protectorate in 1956 and a protracted decolonization process with Spain (1956 to 1975), resulting in the negotiated retrocession of four of the six territories held (Northern Morocco, Sidi Ifni, Tarfaya, Western Sahara), Morocco actively lent support to African independence movements and their iconic leaders, from Patrice Lumumba to Nelson Mandela, offering both diplomatic aid and military assistance.
In 1960, King Mohammed V convened the "Casablanca Conference," gathering luminaries like Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Sekou Toure (Guinea), Modibo Keita (Mali), King Idriss I (Libya), and Farhat Abbas (provisional government in exile of Algeria based in Morocco). The "Casablanca Group" was bound by a resolute belief in the necessity of African political unification or federation, advocating for deep integration, including militarily, to combat colonialism and promote peace, cultural dialogue, geopolitical influence, and development.
A year after Mohammed V's passing, King Hassan II hosted the first conference in 1961, bringing together representatives of Portuguese-speaking liberation movements, sheltering many leaders, and providing diplomatic and military assistance until their independence in the 1970s.
In response to the momentum of the "Casablanca Group," colonial powers discreetly encouraged the formation of the "Monrovia Group" (including Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal), advocating for a less radical approach to decolonization through negotiations and favoring nationalism over pan-Africanism. The groups also held differing views on ongoing conflicts like those in Algeria and Zaire, with the Casablanca Group supporting Algerian independence while the Monrovia Group backed France.

Inspiring the Organization of African Union (OAU) and the African Union (AU)

Despite fundamental differences, the two groups set aside their disagreements following the wave of decolonization from 1960 to 1962. In 1963, they united to establish a formal continent-wide organization: the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The forward-thinking vision of the Casablanca Group inspired the fundamental pillars of the OAU, with many of its revolutionary ideas enacted, such as the AU regional standby forces or the African continental free trade zone.

Morocco’s Engagement on the Continent

Since independence, the spirit of the Casablanca Group has underpinned Morocco’s commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Africa. Morocco has promoted South-South cooperation, fostered peace and stability, advocated for greater regional integration, and developed mutually beneficial economic partnerships. King Mohammed VI has personally defined Morocco’s Africa policy, as evidenced by his 50 state visits to 32 African countries in 20 years.

Africa's Second Largest Investor

Morocco is the second largest African investor in Sub-Saharan Africa and the largest African investor in West Africa. A significant portion of Moroccan foreign direct investment (FDI), 62.9%, is directed to sub-Saharan Africa, spanning sectors such as banking (31%), telecommunications (21%), industry (12%), real estate (11%), holdings (10%), other services (9%), trade (5%), and insurance (1%). 
Moroccan enterprises operating in 30 African countries have fostered a conducive ecosystem for growth. Moroccan banks, including BMCE-Bank of Africa and Attijariwafabank, contribute to development by extending up to USD 100 million in credit loans to government-funded projects and local small and medium enterprises.
 

A Proponent of Regional Integration

Morocco has consistently advocated for deeper political and economic regional integration. In 1989, it hosted the summit that established the Arab Maghreb Union in Marrakech. A decade later, Morocco became a member of the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CENSAD). In 2016, it formally requested to join ECOWAS, and in 2019, it ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
Having developed modern infrastructures such as the largest port in Africa (Tanger Med port), the world's largest solar plant (Noor), the first high-speed bullet train on the continent and in the MENA region, Morocco's current focus is on the development of regionally integrated infrastructure projects.
In this vein, Morocco and Nigeria agreed to undertake the USD 20 billion Atlantic African Gas Pipeline Project, aimed at transporting gas from West Africa to Europe. Morocco is also collaborating with G5 Sahel countries to assist in the development of solar green energy. Moreover, the Kingdom is involved in the rehabilitation of the Cocody Bay in Cote d'Ivoire and is aiding South Sudan in the urban planning of its future capital.

Investing in Africa's Future Generations

Morocco has a long-standing tradition of investing in Africa's youth dating back to the 1980s. Each year, over 7,000 students from several sub-Saharan African countries enroll in universities in Morocco, benefiting from scholarships. Additionally, hundreds of sub-Saharan African professionals receive vocational training in Morocco's "centers of excellence," leveraging Morocco's experience and know-how.

South-South Cooperation

As a staunch advocate of African solutions to African problems, Morocco has placed South-South cooperation at the core of its foreign and developmental actions. Solidarity and regional responsibility have always guided its approach to cooperation, encompassing human development, food security, climate change adaptation initiatives, debt cancellation, skill and technology transfers, security and military training, infrastructure development, and humanitarian assistance. The continued operation of Royal Air Maroc flights to Ebola-stricken countries during the recent outbreak and the medical aid delivered to multiple African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, exemplify this spirit.

Triangular Cooperation

A new facet of Morocco's engagement on the continent is triangular cooperation. Morocco is collaborating with major donor countries such as the US, Japan, and France, as well as with UNDP and USAID, on joint programs in Africa.
In 2019, the US and Morocco established the first Africa Working Group within their Strategic Dialogue. This initiative identified a series of joint actions in Africa, including a common security training platform (Sahel), youth empowerment projects (Mali), preservation of heritage sites, and collaborative opportunities within Prosper Africa.

A Contributor to Peace and Security in Africa

As a pioneer in UN peacekeeping operations on the African continent, Moroccan troops have supported and continue to support stability in various regions, including Zaire, Somalia, the DRC, Cote d'Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Morocco has also played a crucial role in brokering peace deals, such as those between Sierra Leone and Liberia (Casablanca, 2000), facilitating the transition to civilian rule in Guinea following the coup d'état of Daddis Camara (Rabat, 2009), and orchestrating the only inter-Libyan political agreement to date (Skhirat, 2015).
During its tenure as a member of the UN Security Council (2012-2013), Morocco played a key role in advancing Africa's interests. It took a leading role in addressing issues in the Sahel, a region of primary importance for the Kingdom. Morocco's Presidential Statement on the Sahel laid the groundwork for the development of a comprehensive and integrated UN strategy for the Sahel and the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for the region. Additionally, Morocco was appointed chair of the UN peacebuilding configuration for the Central African Republic.
Morocco is currently a member of the AU Peace and Security Council.

Addressing Africa's Urgent Challenges

Migration: Morocco has been a regional leader in addressing migration issues, hosting the first Euro-African conference on migration and development in 2006 and endorsing the UN Global Compact on Migration in 2018.
In 2017, His Majesty King Mohammed VI was appointed to lead on migration issues within the AU. A report proposed the establishment of an AU Special Envoy on migration and the creation of an African observatory on migration (located in Rabat) to monitor this phenomenon and its root causes.
Morocco is the only country in the region to have enacted significant migration and asylum reforms. In 2013, His Majesty King Mohammed VI announced a plan to adopt a "humanitarian approach" to migration and asylum. Since then, Morocco has conducted two waves of regularization for undocumented individuals, granting residency permits to 40,000 people, mainly Africans, along with access to free healthcare and public schools.
Counterterrorism: Since the Casablanca terrorist attacks in 2003, Morocco has been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. As the co-chair of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) since 2015, Morocco has advocated for greater attention to the needs of African countries in building their capacity to address terrorist threats, leading to the adoption of concrete measures in this regard.
Moreover, as a member of the international coalition against ISIS, Morocco hosted a meeting of the coalition in Skhirate in 2018, with a specific focus on the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and the Horn of Africa. The discussion delved into the ISIS threat and the imperative to prevent the establishment of new safe havens in Africa for foreign terrorist fighters fleeing Syria and Iraq. African non-coalition members were invited to share their views and assessments of the situation, shedding light on the African dimension of the ISIS threat.
Countering Violent Extremism: Drawing on its successful experience in deradicalization, Morocco has been assisting African countries in countering radical and terrorist ideologies. The Mohammed VI Center for the Training of Imams and Morchidates (female preachers) opened its doors in 2012 to train foreign imams from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia. The training center promotes the "Moroccan brand" of Islam, rooted in the Malikite Sunni School of Law, the Ash'aari doctrine, and the acceptance of mysticism (Sufism), fostering moderation, openness, and pragmatism. After successfully training over 1,200 Malian imams, the program has expanded to citizens from Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, France, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, and the UAE. Today, over 1,000 foreign nationals are trained yearly.
Climate Change: Morocco is currently Africa's leader in efforts to combat climate change and is ranked second globally in the Climate Change Performance Index.
In 2016, Morocco hosted the Climate Change Summit (COP22), a year after the adoption of the Paris Agreement. The summit aimed to advance the climate action agenda and address pressing concerns of developing countries. Morocco called on world leaders to focus more on concrete plans for Africa's small-scale farmers impacted by climate change. It also inaugurated the Climate Change Competence Center in Morocco (4C Morocco), aimed at building the capacity of African countries to adapt to climate change.
On the sidelines of COP22, His Majesty King Mohammed VI hosted the first Africa Action Summit, which saw the launch of concrete transnational projects and three commissions focused on the Congo Basin Commission, the Sahel, and Island States. These committees explored innovative ways to address key climate-related challenges in Africa and find financing for their projects.
Food Security: As a major agricultural producer, Morocco has directed a significant portion of its investments in Africa to the agricultural sector, assisting African countries in the transformation and modernization of their agriculture. The OCP group, Morocco's phosphates and fertilizer producer, has provided soil mapping and shared best practices, expertise, and advice with various countries in West Africa, the Sahel, and East Africa.
In 2023, the OCP partnered with the World Bank to foster cooperation and programs benefitting 5 million farmers in Benin, Guinea, Mali, and Togo, covering 10 million hectares. This new partnership will unlock opportunities to African farmers to improve agricultural productivity and soil health through the use of customized fertilizers and sustainable farming practices.