HM the King’s Atlantic Initiative for Sahel Stands Out for Its Relevance – Burkina Faso’s FM –

HM the King’s Initiative to Enhance Atlantic Ocean Access for Sahel Countries stands out for its relevance and reflects actual and concrete needs, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, said Saturday in Marrakech. “This Initiative reflects His Majesty the King’s perfect knowledge of Sahel issues and His proximity to its populations. It also reflects the sub-regional ambition for Sahel States to work in synergy to be a more integrated and competitive area”, the head of Burkinabe diplomacy underlined at a joint press conference following the Ministerial Coordination Meeting on HM the King’s Initiative to Enhance Atlantic Ocean Access for Sahel Countries. In this regard, the Burkinabe minister stressed that this Initiative “is beneficial because it is in line with the ambitions of Sahel States to take their destiny in hand to transform this continentality into an asset”. “Because isolation remains a weakness as long as it is not transformed, the Royal Initiative goes through not only upgrading infrastructure, but also determining some commercial and customs facilities”, Karamoko said, noting that this Initiative “will improve conditions not only for the Sahel but also for Africa as a whole”. The head of Burkinabe diplomacy also said that this Ministerial Coordination Meeting is the “first step” towards achieving a vision that allows for transforming the image of the Sahel and restoring its vocation: uniting people and serving as a bridge. Initiated by Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, this meeting was also attended by Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Nigeriens Abroad, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, and Director General of Africa and African Integration at the Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chadians Abroad and International Cooperation, Abakar Kourma. At the end of this coordination meeting, the Foreign Ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad expressed the adherence of their countries to HM King Mohammed VI’s international initiative to enable Atlantic Ocean access for Sahel States, which offers great opportunities for the economic transformation of the region as a whole.