1. Bénin
2. Ghana

During sequential bilateral meetings with delegations from Bénin and Ghana, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, sought support for the Kingdom’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara.

Bénin

The seventh session of the Morocco-Bénin Joint Cooperation Commission in Cotonou concluded on July 21 with a joint declaration reaffirming Bénin’s firm support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, including the Sahara region.

In the statement, the Republic of Bénin renewed its backing for Morocco’s autonomy plan, calling it the only credible and realistic solution to resolving the Western Sahara dispute.

The Béninese delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of Integration of People of African Descent, Corinne Amori Brunet, who 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 settlement.

The foreign minister announced plans for an upcoming mission to Dakhla to assess the region’s economic and social development and explore partnership opportunities. Both parties agreed that the next Joint Cooperation Commission session will be held in Dakhla.

Ghana

Morocco’s foreign minister also participated in the second session of the Morocco-Ghana Joint Cooperation Commission, where Ghana aligned with growing international momentum recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara and supporting the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most realistic path to end the decades-long conflict.

Ghana’s government position was formalized in a joint communiqué issued with Morocco following the commission’s session.

This stance was emphasized by Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during discussions with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita.

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

This policy shift confirms Ghana’s alignment with the majority support across Africa for Morocco’s proposal, already backed by 116 countries—over 60% of UN members.

The Ghanaian government also confirmed its support for UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which expresses full backing for the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to facilitate negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy initiative toward achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable settlement.

Bourita’s visit to Accra also provided a boost to bilateral relations. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation in strategic sectors including banking, housing, infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, digital economy, mining, hydrocarbons and agriculture.

Economically, both ministers agreed to promote trade missions, entrepreneurial exchanges and sector-specific trade fairs to increase commercial exchanges and strengthen trade balances. They also announced the creation of a Morocco-Ghana Economic and Investment Forum to be held periodically, rotating between both countries.

Food security represents another key partnership area. In this regard, fertilizers from Morocco’s OCP Group will help boost Ghana’s cocoa crop yields and strengthen the country’s agricultural production amid high dependence on food imports, valued at approximately $3 billion annually.

Ghana also reiterated its support for Morocco’s Atlantic Initiative to facilitate landlocked Sahel countries’ access to international markets via the Atlantic Ocean. Accra remains engaged in the African-Atlantic gas pipeline project to connect Nigeria to Morocco.