Morocco is keen to consolidate its influence in Mali by pursuing active diplomacy that employs many tools. In this context, Malian Prime Minister Chogoel Kokala inaugurated, in the presence of Morocco’s ambassador to Bamako, Idris Espin, the King Mohammed VI Maternity Hospital in the Malian capital, Bamako, on July 12, 2022, which raises questions about the factors and reasons for the growing Moroccan interest in Mali at this time. The current Moroccan moves reflect several approaches in order to enhance influence on the scene in Mali, especially through diplomatic efforts to mediate between the government of Bamako and ECOWAS to lift sanctions on Mali, as well as the role of spiritual diplomacy and religious influence of Morocco there through Sufi orders, and providing assistance in the field. medical, promoting economic cooperation; Moroccan foreign policy is keen to strengthen its relations with Mali, given its geographical proximity, its wealth and natural resources, and its being an arena for competition with Algeria to achieve political and diplomatic gains.
Multiple tools
Morocco seeks to strengthen its political presence in Mali through several entrances; This is as follows :
1- Rabat’s support for Mali’s political stability : Morocco is working to strengthen political relations with the transitional government in Mali. A visit to Mali in 2013 and 2014, Morocco also expressed its readiness to mediate between the transitional Malian government and the West African Economic Community, in order to lift sanctions and find a solution to the ongoing political crisis in this African country. On more than one occasion, Moroccan Foreign Minister Sameh Bourita has expressed his support for the political stability in Mali, not to mention the historical ties with the Tuareg and Arab tribes alike, especially Morocco’s ties with some Tuareg and Berber leaders. What helps Morocco to employ these relations in building peace in the region.
2- Employing religious and spiritual diplomacy: Morocco relies on the religious ties that bring it together with Mali, especially the extension of the Sufi orders of Moroccan origin to West Africa, which contributed to the support of religious ties between the Moroccan population and the African peoples. Morocco uses its great influence in the Sufi orders, especially the Tijaniya order, which houses the tomb of its founder, Sheikh Ahmed Tijani, in the city of Fez, and the Qadiriyya. These two methods are widespread in Mauritania, Mali and Senegal. In addition, Morocco offers religious scholarships to Malian students in Moroccan universities, and Morocco seeks to strengthen the Maliki school, which is the most widespread in North Africa and the Sahel region. This spiritual and religious role enables Morocco to strengthen its presence in the financial arena.
3- Providing medical assistance : Morocco is working to support the efforts of the current transitional government in providing medical services to the population. In this context, Morocco and Mali signed an agreement to strengthen partnership in the medical field, on May 16, 2022. Malian Prime Minister Chogoel Koukala, accompanied by Morocco’s Ambassador to Bamako Idris Espin, inaugurated, on July 12, 2022, the King Mohammed VI Maternity Hospital in the Malian capital, Bamako. The Moroccan ambassador stressed that the official opening of this hospital is a tangible embodiment of the exemplary Moroccan financial cooperation that extends for centuries.
4- Strengthening economic ties between the two countries : Mali is the third destination for Moroccan investments in Africa, and the second beneficiary of scholarships in Moroccan universities and higher education institutions. Morocco is working to strengthen its economic ties, especially after opening branches of Moroccan banks in Mali. For example, Wafa Bank acquired a stake of more than 50% in “Bank Internationale” in Mali, and the state-owned “Maroc Telecom” bought telecom companies in Mali. The OCP has intensified its phosphate exploration operations in eastern Mali, and Morocco is seeking to boost its investments in the extraction of natural resources, such as gold, uranium, iron ore, and diamonds.
Growing motives
There are growing motives for Morocco to enhance its political influence in Mali, which can be summarized in a number of points; This is as follows :
1- Strengthening Morocco’s regional role in the African Sahel : Morocco seeks to enhance its role and presence in the regional field, and pays attention to the African Sahel region due to its geographical proximity and its voting bloc within the African Union, which can play a role in supporting Moroccan diplomacy at the international and African levels. Hence, Morocco’s interest in strengthening its presence in Mali comes in the context of its interest in strengthening and affirming its role in the region. Morocco previously submitted an official application to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on February 24, 2017. The application for membership also followed Morocco’s successful return to the African Union on January 30, 2017, which Rabat saw as a great diplomatic success. In addition, Morocco was keen to provide logistical support to the Sahel Five-Group Force.
This is related to competing with the Algerian role, especially in light of the increasing Algerian moves aimed at weakening Morocco’s influence in the Sahel by building new tactical alliances in the African Sahel, in the context of the changing political and security developments following the French and European withdrawal from Mali, and the involvement of the Russian “Wagner” forces in counter-terrorism operations. In the country, in strengthening the presence in the financial arena, and in light of the tacit understandings and agreements between Algeria and Russia on besieging European-French influence in exchange for Moroccan and European rapprochement. In this context, Algeria sought to mediate to find a solution to the crisis between the head of the transitional authority in Mali and the Economic Community of West African States.
2- Expanding international recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara: Morocco has made a great achievement in this field, especially after the increasing support of European countries and the United States for the Moroccan proposal. Therefore, Morocco is working to expand international recognition and obtain the support of new countries, especially on the African arena. Hence, Rabat is working to strengthen its political presence and convince the countries of the Sahel region with the autonomy proposal, which requires maintaining the Sahara region on Moroccan sovereignty while granting the region autonomy. In October 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdallah Diop, affirmed his country’s firm position to support a just and lasting political solution, under the supervision of the United Nations, to the artificial conflict over the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.
3- Supporting the fight against cross-border terrorism: especially since Morocco is not immune to terrorist threats coming from the Sahel region, and Morocco expressed this interest by hosting the conference of the international coalition against ISIS, on May 11, 2022, while Moroccan convoys and commercial interests were subjected to terrorist attacks. Repeatedly by terrorist organizations in northern Mali during last September and December; Therefore, Morocco pays attention to security developments in the region and their direct repercussions on it. Morocco links the problem of circumstantial alliances between jihadist movements, especially Al-Qaeda in the Sahel and Sahara, Ansar Dine, which is active in Mali, organized crime organizations, and separatist movements, especially the “Polisario Front.”
Forming alliances
In general, there are many motives that push Morocco to strengthen its political influence in Mali, on top of which is Morocco’s interest in supporting its regional role in its geographical surroundings, and obtaining the support of African countries for the Moroccan proposal to grant the Sahara region autonomy, in addition to not leaving the arena in Mali before Algeria. It is allowed to take advantage of the security vacuum in the region, following the French and European withdrawal, to extend its influence at the expense of Morocco, not to mention the Moroccan interest in coordinating cooperation with Mali in counter-terrorism efforts, especially after convoys and commercial interests were subjected to repeated terrorist attacks in northern Mali; Therefore, it is expected that the Moroccan-Algerian competition to expand influence in the region will increase in the near future, consolidating the re-shaping of the map of alliances, and a Moroccan-European alignment in the face of a possible Russian-Algerian alignment in the region.
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