The question of opening up the landlocked Sahel states — primarily Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — has become a clear arena of geo‑economic competition in North Africa. While Morocco has intensified a media campaign promoting an initiative to grant these countries access to the Atlantic through ports located in Western Sahara, Algeria is quietly developing a genuine logistical depth by linking its Mediterranean ports to Tamanrasset, transforming it into the Sahel’s gateway to the world.
The essential question is not who raises the slogan, but who actually possesses the technical, political, and financial capacity to turn it into reality.
I. The Moroccan Initiative: Appealing Rhetoric, Troubling Realities
At first glance, Morocco’s proposal seems attractive: an African‑solidarity narrative that promises landlocked countries a path to the Atlantic. But a closer look reveals significant structural obstacles.
1. The Infrastructure and Financing Dilemma
The initiative envisions connecting Sahelian states to Atlantic ports through thousands of kilometers of trans‑Saharan roads — more than 5,000 km across harsh desert environments with persistent insecurity.
Such a corridor requires:
- Multi‑billion‑dollar investments,
- Continuous security protection,
- Extremely costly maintenance under unforgiving climatic conditions.
Even with external partners, the economic return remains uncertain given the limited volume of current trade from Sahel countries.
2. The Legal Challenge: The Status of Western Sahara
Western Sahara remains a Non‑Self‑Governing Territory under UN classification, with sovereignty contested between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Basing an international logistics strategy on ports located in a disputed territory introduces several risks:
- Legal and investment uncertainties,
- Diplomatic objections,
- Hesitation from international financial actors.
Can Sahel states reasonably anchor their future logistics to a zone under unresolved international dispute?
3. The Mauritanian Factor: A Geopolitical Contradiction
Any land corridor linking the Sahel to Atlantic ports in Western Sahara must pass through Mauritania. Yet:
- Mauritania officially recognizes the Sahrawi Republic,
- It relies on its position as a commercial transit country,
- The port of Nouadhibou already benefits from Sahelian trade, including Mali’s exports.
II. The Algerian Approach: A Quiet but Structural Strategy
In contrast, Algeria is developing a fundamentally different approach based on north‑south rail integration and the transformation of Tamanrasset into a continental logistics platform.
1. The Strategic Choice of Rail
Choosing rail over road is not a technical detail but a strategic decision:
- Lower transport costs over the medium and long term,
- Much higher freight capacity,
- Better security for goods,
- Greater durability in desert environments.
Connecting Algeria’s Mediterranean ports to Tamanrasset by rail effectively links the Sahel directly to global trade routes through stable, sovereign ports.
2. Tamanrasset as an African “Dry Port”
Algeria aims to transform Tamanrasset into a regional distribution hub for Sahel countries — a role comparable to Dubai’s within its broader region, but adapted to African geography and needs.
The vision includes:
- Cargo consolidation,
- Storage and re‑export,
- Creation of logistical and industrial zones,
- Seamless rail links to the Mediterranean.
This model has three decisive advantages:
- It lies entirely within Algerian sovereign territory,
- It avoids any international legal dispute,
- It follows a gradual, internally driven development strategy.
III. A Contrast Between Two Logics
Morocco:
- Strong solidarity‑based rhetoric,
- A theoretically grand project,
- Immense financing challenges,
- Legal complications tied to disputed territory,
- Dependence on Mauritanian approval — far from guaranteed.
Algeria:
- Quiet, methodical progress,
- Prior investment in national infrastructure,
- Sustainable rail‑based integration,
- A long‑term logistical vision grounded in territorial depth.
Conclusion: Between Marketing and Real Achievement
Unlocking the Sahel is not a political slogan but a complex engineering, economic, and sovereignty‑based challenge. Talk of African solidarity is not enough without:
- Financial commitment,
- Legal stability,
- Technical credibility,
- Geopolitical realism.
On balance, the Moroccan initiative appears more like a political positioning maneuver than a realistic, near‑term project. Conversely, Algeria’s rail‑based strategy — centered on transforming Tamanrasset into an African logistics hub — rests on firmer ground in terms of sovereignty, sustainability, and economic logic.
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