Morocco and Senegal have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation following high-level talks held in Rabat on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Morocco’s Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, met with Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who is in the kingdom on a working visit as part of activities marking the 15th session of the High Joint Commission for the Moroccan-Senegalese Partnership.

The meeting was attended by Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, as well as the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Senegal, Hassan Ennassiri.

During the discussions, both sides reaffirmed the shared determination of Morocco and Senegal to elevate their bilateral relations to multidimensional levels, in line with the vision and aspirations of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The two delegations stressed their countries’ continued adherence to the values of brotherhood, solidarity and mutual respect that have long underpinned relations between Rabat and Dakar, particularly in service of the broader African continent.

They also praised the contributions of the Moroccan community in Senegal and the Senegalese community in Morocco in strengthening people-to-people ties and enriching the partnership between the two nations.

Akhannouch highlighted the depth of the human, religious and economic bonds linking Morocco and Senegal, noting in particular the eight official visits paid to Senegal by King Mohammed VI. He further commended Senegal’s strategic role in supporting Morocco’s Royal Initiatives for Africa, especially the initiative aimed at improving Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to assess the progress achieved in recent years, including increased ministerial exchanges, the strengthening of the legal framework governing bilateral cooperation, and the consolidation of economic partnerships and investment flows since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye assumed office.

Officials from both countries agreed that the 15th session of the High Joint Commission offers a significant platform to further expand sectoral cooperation through the implementation of structured projects in key areas such as agriculture, energy, trade, the digital economy and other priority sectors.

The talks underscored Morocco and Senegal’s shared ambition to build a resilient and forward-looking partnership capable of contributing meaningfully to regional integration and sustainable development across Africa.

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Recent claims suggesting that Africa is broadly opposed to Morocco have been dismissed by observers as misleading and unsupported by diplomatic or political realities, amid growing concerns over what is being described as a coordinated disinformation campaign.

The narrative, which has gained traction on social media platforms and in certain media circles in recent weeks, portrays Morocco as facing widespread continental hostility. However, analysts say this portrayal does not reflect any collective African position and is instead the result of an organised effort driven by identifiable actors.

According to multiple assessments, the campaign does not originate from Africa as a whole. Rather, it can be traced largely to a single country, with the involvement of an isolated actor based in Egypt. Efforts to present these limited positions as representative of the African continent have been described as a deliberate distortion.

Observers note that the tactics employed follow a familiar pattern. Fake social media accounts and coordinated digital networks are reportedly activated to amplify messages, creating the impression of widespread opposition and mass mobilisation against Morocco. This strategy, they say, is designed to manufacture consensus where none exists.

Diplomatic sources point out that the online narrative stands in sharp contrast to Morocco’s extensive political, economic and cultural ties across Africa, as well as its active participation in continental institutions and partnerships. They argue that relations between Morocco and many African states remain stable and cooperative, undermining claims of continental hostility.

Analysts also caution against emotional or defensive responses to the campaign. Instead, they suggest that the focus should be on identifying the origins of the disinformation, exposing its methods and clearly distinguishing between isolated antagonism and Africa’s broader diplomatic landscape.

“The issue is not about repeatedly asserting Morocco’s African identity,” one observer said. “It is about naming the sources of this campaign and challenging the false impression that Africa is united in opposition to Morocco.”

As scrutiny of online influence operations intensifies, the emerging consensus among analysts is that the hostility being projected is artificial, limited in scope and disconnected from Africa’s wider political reality.

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Spain has welcomed United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797, which reiterates that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty represents the most realistic basis for resolving the Sahara dispute, describing the development as fully aligned with the international roadmap on the issue.

In a statement adopted on Thursday at the conclusion of the 13th High-Level Meeting between Morocco and Spain, held in Madrid, the Spanish government praised the text of Resolution 2797, adopted by the UN Security Council on 31 October 2025, noting that it strengthens support for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative and confirms its position at the centre of negotiations.

Spain reaffirmed the “constant and constructive position” set out in the Joint Declaration of 7 April 2022, issued following discussions between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and His Majesty King Mohammed VI. That declaration marked a turning point in relations between Rabat and Madrid, with Spain formally recognising the Moroccan autonomy proposal as the “most serious, realistic and credible” basis for settlement.

In Thursday’s statement, Spain also expressed satisfaction that the latest UN development “fully supports the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy to facilitate and conduct negotiations based on the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco.”

The renewed support underscores Spain’s active backing for the current UN approach, which places Morocco’s proposal at the heart of diplomatic efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.

The 13th High-Level Meeting further consolidates the strategic partnership between the two neighbouring kingdoms, whose relations have strengthened significantly over the past three years through cooperation on security, migration, economic ties and regional stability.

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