The Moroccan Ambassador to Senegal, Hassan Naciri, presented his new book, “Moroccan Sahara: Geopolitical Stakes of a Major Issue for Morocco,” during a high-level diplomatic gathering in Dakar on Monday, July 27.
The event brought together members of the diplomatic corps, former political leaders, researchers, academics, and prominent public figures for a comprehensive discussion on the historical, legal, economic, and security dimensions of the Sahara issue.
Prefaced by former Senegalese Prime Minister and former National Assembly President Moustapha Niasse, the book examines the Saharan question as a core pillar of Moroccan foreign policy and state identity. During his address, Ambassador Naciri emphasized that the issue extends beyond a border dispute, touching directly on Morocco’s territorial integrity, historical development, and broader African vocation. He outlined four structural dimensions within the book: the legal framework, ground realities of local populations, broader geopolitical dynamics, and the roles of regional and global actors.
Addressing the root causes of the longstanding diplomatic stalemate, Naciri attributed the impasse to geopolitical friction, Cold War legacies, and persistent barriers to Maghreb regional integration. He highlighted the extensive infrastructure and economic investments driving growth in Morocco’s southern provinces, while framing the region’s stability as essential to counteracting transnational threats across the Sahel, West Africa, and the Atlantic sphere.
The presentation also highlighted King Mohammed VI’s diplomatic approach, pointing to his call for a pragmatic political solution rooted in compromise that maintains dignity for all involved parties. Attendees, including former Senegalese Ambassador to the European Union Amadou Diop, praised the publication and recalled the deep historical and fraternal ties uniting Senegal and Morocco, underscoring the event’s role in fostering intellectual dialogue across the region.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA