Morocco and Mali strengthen military ties

The arms race between Morocco and Algeria continues to escalate, now with Rabat seeking regional partners, according to one Moroccan friendly website.

Morocco and Mali have announced the strengthening of military ties following a meeting in Rabat, potentially signalling an alliance between the countries, as reported by Yabiladi and agencies on February 13th.

The announcement was made following the Joint Military Commission meeting between Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces and the Malian Army in Rabat, held from February 10th to 12th; discussions centred on developing cooperation in military training, equipment and logistical support.

In recent months, ties between Morocco and Mali have been growing, with the latter expected to benefit from the Atlantic Initiative, which would give landlocked Sahel countries access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Western Sahara.

Furthermore, the countries share a rivalry with Algeria; for Morocco, it is because Algeria has rejected Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara territory, while Mali accuses Algeria of harbouring and funding Tuareg separatists.

However, it was reported on February 13th that Mali’s ally, Niger, has sought to normalise relations with Algeria after months of tensions over allegations that Algeria shot down a Malian drone in Tin Zaouatine, a border town that is a Tuareg stronghold.

It is unclear whether Mali’s renewed ties to Morocco will affect its alliance with Niger, as the Sahel countries are founding members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which aims to counter jihadist violence through shared military and intelligence resources.

Similarly, it is unclear if Mali’s military cooperation with Morocco signals the country’s support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, which would grant the Western Sahara limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty.

Mali’s allies, Burkina Faso and Niger, have endorsed Moroccan sovereignty and are expected to similarly benefit from the Atlantic Initiative, along with the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, which would supply the landlocked Sahel countries with natural gas.

The three Sahel countries, along with Algeria, have a shared history as former French colonies. In recent years, the Sahel countries have cut ties with French and Western powers, instead favouring strategic and security partnerships with Russia.

Morocco has also sought strategic ties with Russia, while Mali’s military junta government uses the presence of Russian mercenaries to maintain stability as the country faces jihadist insurgencies.

Notably, Mali has been under a jihadist-imposed fuel blockade since September 2025, with the country’s landlocked status and reliance on fuel imports being exploited by militants to destabilise the junta.

The junta has struggled to contain the threat posed by jihadist insurgencies and has been reliant on Russian support in exchange for access to natural resources, such as gold.

Yabiladi and agencies, Maghrebi.org