Why Nigeria has interest in the Spanish-Moroccan alliance

On Wednesday, the 21st of February, Pedro Sanchez, the President of the Government of Spain, and Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, held a high-level meeting in Rabat to discuss the strategic alliance between Rabat and Madrid. Their agenda disclosed renewing several facets of their alliance framework, including Western Sahara, co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Portugal, and cooperation in the economic and energy departments. Principally, the core purpose of the meeting was for Madrid to participate in the gas pipeline project between Nigeria and Morocco.

Pedro Sanchez had made a surprise visit to Morocco, joined by his diplomatic advisor Emma Aparici and his Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares. The President of the Government of Spain had made no prior arrangements or disclosed any official communication with the Moroccan monarch. The only information the EFE news agency dispatched was that the Spanish President of Government was traveling to Morocco.

Upon Pedro Sanchez’s arrival in Rabat, Aziz Akhannouch, the Head of Government of Morocco, greeted him at the airport. They proceeded to an official lunch that the King, in his honor, hosted. Later that day, King Mohammed VI and the President of Spain’s government had an official working session alongside their closest advisors, during which a press release from the Moroccan MAP agency gave an abstract of the bilateral discussions. The talks mainly focused on the Western Sahara issue, for which Pedro Sanchez confirmed Spain’s support for the Moroccan autonomy plan. Spain’s Prime Minister described the plan as “the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for resolving this dispute.”

Although Algeria pressured Madrid to reverse Spain’s new position in April 2022, it failed to leave an impact. The most recent incident regarding the premier of Spain occurred on the 12th of February. On short notice, Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebbounce canceled a meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister due to “diary constraints.” However, the daily El Mundo viewed his retraction as a “setback for Spanish diplomacy.”

A Gas Line Partnership for the Madrid-Lagos-Rabat Triumvirate

Alongside the political nature surrounding the Sahara affair and other topics, Pedro Sanchez and Mohammed VI discussed the Moroccan-Nigerian project, where a substantially large gas pipeline would link the two nations. Madrid, once receiving Algerian gas but declined due to its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, desires to expand its supply sources to restore balance in its energy sector.

Regarding this topic, Pedro “expressed Spain’s interest in the strategic initiatives launched by His Majesty the King to promote access by the countries of the Sahel to the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Nigeria-Morocco African-Atlantic as Pipeline.” A few months ago, Morocco had instituted a plan to set up the new African-Atlantic treaty with a few motives regarding the countries along the Sahel arc:

• Offer them access to markets along the sea and through the Atlantic
• Help build establishments along the expansive African coastline
• Stimulate job growth and encourage young people to join the workforce

The last bits of the conversation between the Head of the Government of Spain and the King of Morocco centred around the tripartite arrangement of the 2030 Football World Cup. According to the media, no the details of their discussions were released because both the Moroccan monarch and the Spanish chief of government will likely allow the sports federations to disclose sensitive information about the World Cup, some of which includes the setting for the most salient games.

An Opportunity for Normalcy Between Morocco and France? 

Generally speaking, the Spanish executive’s surprise visit occurred at a similar time when Rabat had taken steps to ease its relations with Paris after months of latent crisis. Ten days ago, President Emmanuel Macron’s wife, Brigitte Macron, orchestrated a private reception for King Mohammed VI’s three sisters. In her dinner invitation, she took particular care in her Instagram message to the President’s coming “to greet” the royal Highnesses and that he had spoken “recently” with Mohammed VI.

Likewise, Stéphane Sejourné, the French Foreign Minister, travelled to Rabat this Monday to meet with his counterpart Nasser Bourita. Both ministers expressed their satisfaction on the level of the bilateral relationship and said that there is a common will to take it to the next level. The French Foreign Minister, however, did not say anything substantial about a potential change in the French position on the Western Sahara conflict, probably to pave the way for a Presidential declaration, as it is rumoured that Emmanuel Macron will finally undertake a state visit in the months to come…