A new dynamic in parliamentary diplomacy is emerging across West and North Africa with the creation of an alliance bringing together Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia.
Announced in Dakar during the closing session of Senegal’s National Assembly, the initiative aims to strengthen regional integration, stability and cooperation among the four nations.
According to a source in Nouakchott, the partnership expands the role of parliaments beyond lawmaking, offering a coordinated response to increasingly interconnected regional crises.
Morocco was represented by Abdelmadjid El Fassi-Fihri, a lawmaker from the Istiqlal Party, while Mohamed Bamba Meguett, President of the Mauritanian Parliament, led the delegation from Nouakchott. Senegal and Gambia, as co-hosts, reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability, and sustainable development.
The notable absence of Algeria—despite the recent presence of Brahim Boughali, Speaker of the Algerian People’s National Assembly, in Nouakchott—has raised diplomatic questions.
The alliance appears to build on the Atlantic Partnership, launched in Washington in September 2023 with U.S. backing.
That initiative includes 43 countries focused on maritime security, economic cooperation, and transcontinental connectivity.
Geopolitical tensions, particularly over the Western Sahara issue, are also shaping this regional realignment.
Senegal and Gambia back Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory, while Mauritania maintains diplomatic neutrality despite its historical ties with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
This new parliamentary alliance could significantly reshape cooperation between West and North Africa amid a rapidly evolving strategic landscape.
MK/te/sf/lb/as/APA