During back-to-back bilateral meetings with delegations from Bénin and Ghana, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, sought support for the country’s autonomy plan for the western Sahara.

Bénin

The seventh session of the Morocco-Bénin joint cooperation commission, held in Cotonou, concluded on July 21 with a joint declaration reaffirming Bénin’s unwavering stance in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, including the Sahara region.

In the declaration, the Republic of Bénin reiterated its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only credible and realistic solution to resolving the western Sahara conflict.

The Béninese delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of African Integration and Africans of the Diaspora, Corinne Amori Brunet, who also welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which endorses Morocco’s autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty as the foundation for a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable resolution to the dispute.

The Béninese foreign minister confirmed that a delegation will soon visit Dakhla to witness the economic and social development unfolding in the region and explore opportunities for on-the-ground partnerships. Both parties also agreed that the next session of the joint cooperation commission will be held in Dakhla itself.

Ghana

Morocco’s foreign minister also participated in the second session of the Morocco-Ghana joint cooperation commission, where Ghana aligned itself with the growing international momentum recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over the western Sahara and supporting the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most realistic path to ending a nearly five-decade-old conflict.

Ghana’s stance was formalized in a joint communiqué issued alongside Morocco at the conclusion of the commission’s session.

This position was emphasized by Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during his meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita.

It is worth noting that in January 2025, Ghana withdrew its official recognition of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and has since taken a definitive step forward by fully endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan, which it now considers the only realistic and sustainable basis for resolving the conflict.

This shift in Ghana’s position—historically linked to the Polisario Front—underscores the growing African consensus in favor of Morocco’s proposal, which has already garnered support from 116 countries, representing over 60% of UN member states.

Ghana’s government also confirmed its support for UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which fully backs the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy in facilitating negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution.

Bourita’s visit to Accra has also given new impetus to bilateral relations between Morocco and Ghana. Both countries have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation across strategic sectors, including banking, housing, infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, digital economy, mining, hydrocarbons, and agriculture.

Economically, the two ministers agreed to promote trade missions, business matchmaking events, and sector-specific trade fairs to boost bilateral trade and strengthen trade balances. They also announced the creation of a Morocco-Ghana Economic and Investment Forum, to be held periodically with alternating host cities in both countries.

Food security emerged as another key focus of the partnership. In this regard, fertilizers produced by Morocco’s OCP Group will enhance cocoa crop yields in Ghana and bolster the country’s agricultural production, addressing its heavy reliance on food imports, estimated at around $3 billion annually.

Ghana, for its part, reiterated its support for Morocco’s Atlantic Initiative, designed to facilitate landlocked Sahelian countries’ access to international markets via the Atlantic Ocean. Accra also remains engaged in the Atlantic Africa gas pipeline project, aimed at connecting Nigeria to Morocco.