Following the integration of Saharan representatives in negotiations with the United Nations and the European Union, Morocco is strategically positioning this region as a vital crossroads in its African diplomatic policy. Rabat no longer holds a monopoly on Morocco's diplomatic activities. Laayoune and Dakhla now discreetly compete with the kingdom's administrative capital, particularly when it comes to African policy. The opening towards regional groups in the continent, emphasized after Morocco's return to the African Union in 2017, has greatly benefited the two major urban centers of the Sahara. This process began in 2020 with the inauguration of consulates in Dakhla and Laayoune by AU member states, affirming their recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the territory through tangible actions. This achievement, crucial for the kingdom, is safeguarded from political volatility, particularly with Algeria watching closely. Morocco integrates these two Saharan cities into the framework of its evolving diplomatic approach toward Africa. Joint meetings in Laayoune and Dakhla After involving locally elected officials from the Sahara in negotiations with the United Nations (the Geneva roundtables in December 2018 and March 2019) and the European Union (agriculture and fisheries agreements signed in 2019), Morocco incorporated these geographic spaces into its diplomatic strategy. The number of meetings held in these cities over the years demonstrates this integration. On Friday, December 13, Laayoune hosted the inaugural session of the Morocco-Zambia Joint Commission. Earlier, on July 16, the Saharan capital organized its first meeting within the same framework with Malawi. Previously, Dakhla played a central role. On June 9, 2023, the Atlantic city hosted the 7th session of the Morocco-Burkina Faso Joint Commission, which resulted in signing a number of partnership agreements. Four weeks later, a similar meeting was held there with Guinea. This series of meetings continued with the 3rd session of the Morocco-Gambia Joint Commission on January 25, 2024. Major ministerial meetings with African countries that recognize Morocco's sovereignty over the province have also taken place in the Sahara. On April 5, 2021, in Dakhla, Morocco and Senegal signed two cooperation agreements and a memorandum of understanding to enhance their partnership in decentralization, information and communication technology (ICT), and civil aviation. Following the official accession of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad to an initiative launched by King Mohammed VI on November 6, 2023, aimed at facilitating Sahel countries' access to the Atlantic, Dakhla hosted a meeting of the project's members in July 2024. This choice underscores Dakhla's strategic role as Morocco's gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, notably with its major Atlantic port currently under construction. «Dakhla will be a pivotal base for Morocco's economic relations with West Africa, as envisioned by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, through its economic dynamism and large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly the Atlantic port under construction», emphasized Nasser Bourita in April 2023 in a statement to the press. After Rabat, Laayoune and Dakhla are emerging as Morocco's new diplomatic hubs, especially in its Africa-focused policies.
