DIPLOMACY: Senegal-Morocco, a collective game

The CAN episode closed, Senegal and Morocco are opening, this Monday (today) in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, a new page in their bilateral cooperation with the holding, for the first time, of a Joint High Commission, marked by the presence of their respective Prime Ministers, Ousmane Sonko (Senegal) and Aziz Akhannouch (Morocco).

RABAT – This unique format reflects the strategic and multidimensional nature of a partnership set to strengthen, particularly on the political, economic, industrial and social levels.
High Joint Commission: instructions for use

The joint commissions aim to update and strengthen the bilateral legal framework, as well as to set up implementation programs for certain existing mechanisms. What’s new this year is that the commission is being held for the first time at the level of heads of government, testifying to the strategic importance of cooperation between Senegal and Morocco. As for the format, these are always exchanges involving foreign ministers.

Genesis of the High Commission

Senegal and Morocco have decided to elevate their cooperation work to the level of heads of government, given the strategic nature of their relationship and the volume of bilateral trade. “All the ministerial departments of the two countries are indeed carrying out cooperation activities. In this context, during the visit to Morocco by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Niang, last November, the two countries agreed to hold this commission in January, at the level of the two Prime Ministers.

Progress of the visit of the Senegalese delegation
Monday: High Joint Commission Expected in Rabat early in the morning, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko will co-chair, with his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouch, the opening of the High Joint Commission at the headquarters of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussions will focus on the priority areas of bilateral cooperation.

Tuesday: Economic Forum to boost investment and trade

The bilateral economic forum, scheduled for the day after the joint commission, is part of the common desire of Senegal and Morocco to strengthen their economic relations, with an emphasis on investment and trade. Moroccan investment flows to Senegal still remain modest, with around 100 million USD in 2023. On the trade side, bilateral trade has experienced spectacular growth, going from 98.5 million USD in 2010 to nearly 370 million USD in 2024.

However, this growth is accompanied by a significant imbalance, the trade balance being largely in deficit to the detriment of Senegal. The forum will provide the opportunity to present investment projects in Senegal, aligned with the 2050 Agenda, and to direct investors towards key sectors to meet the country’s needs.

It will also make it possible to reflect on a better structuring of bilateral trade and to define mechanisms to rebalance trade in favor of Senegalese exports to Morocco. Organized jointly by the two countries, this economic meeting aims to lay the foundations for more balanced, dynamic and sustainable cooperation.

Tuesday afternoon: Meeting with the Senegalese diaspora in Casablanca

A meeting of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko with the Senegalese diaspora is also planned for Tuesday afternoon in Casablanca. “It is a meeting awaited by both the authorities and the Senegalese community, in order to discuss issues related to the situation of Senegalese living in Morocco. The objective is to present all the programs that the State deploys in favor of the diaspora, including those residing in Morocco, and to collect their concerns to respond appropriately,” explains a source close to Senegalese officials. These exchanges are part of the trips of the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which mainly target these areas.

“The Senegalese community in Morocco is well integrated and active in many economic and social sectors,” continues another source. The diaspora plays an essential role in strengthening bilateral relations, not only through its successful integration, but also through its contribution to economic, cultural and sporting promotion. The concerns of the Senegalese diaspora in Morocco have always been taken into account by the Senegalese authorities,” continues our source.

Wednesday: Strategic partnership with the OCP Group

As part of cooperation between Senegal and Morocco, a specific segment will be devoted, Wednesday, to phosphate, a strategic sector for the economic development of Senegal. The OCP Group (formerly Office Chérifien des Phosphates), a major player in the global phosphate market, has established itself as a key partner in the development of the fertilizer-phosphate sector. This segment will focus in particular on a structuring project located in Matam, in the north of Senegal. Inspired by the OCP model, this project aims to create a real local ecosystem around the production and processing of phosphate fertilizers. “Beyond industrial investment, it is about generating economic benefits for the entire region, by creating new employment opportunities and strengthening the agricultural value chain,” specify the Senegalese authorities. Exchanges around this sector will take place with OCP, whose headquarters are located near Marrakech, in a strategic site for the group.
This type of cooperation illustrates the desire of Senegal and Morocco to strengthen their ties in sectors with high added value, for the benefit of both economies.

Moussa DIOP, special envoy to Rabat (Morocco)