Bénin and Ghana back Morocco’s Sahara autonomy plan at un-backed talks
Bénin and Ghana back Morocco’s Sahara autonomy plan at UN-backed talks
- Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita secured strong support from Bénin and Ghana for his country’s territorial integrity during high-level meetings in Accra and Cotonou.
- The two African nations endorsed the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2797, which underpins Morocco’s autonomy initiative for Western Sahara.
During back-to-back bilateral meetings with delegations from Bénin and Ghana, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, presented the case for his country’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Both nations responded with strong expressions of support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and the proposed solution to the decades-long dispute.
Bénin
The seventh session of the Morocco-Bénin Joint Cooperation Commission, held in Cotonou, concluded on July 21 with a joint declaration reaffirming Bénin’s unwavering support for Morocco’s territorial integrity, including its claim over the Sahara region.
Bénin’s government explicitly backed Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only credible and realistic solution to the Western Sahara conflict, emphasizing its alignment with international efforts to resolve the dispute. Corinne Amori Brunet, Bénin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Integration, presided over the delegation and welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which enshrines Morocco’s autonomy plan as the foundation for a just and durable solution under Moroccan sovereignty.
Minister Brunet announced plans for an upcoming fact-finding mission to Dakhla to witness firsthand the region’s economic and social progress and explore potential ground-level partnerships. The two countries also agreed that the next session of the joint cooperation commission would be held in Dakhla itself.
Ghana
In Accra, Nasser Bourita attended the second session of the Morocco-Ghana Joint Cooperation Commission. Ghana formally aligned itself with the growing international momentum recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara and endorsing the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most realistic path to ending the nearly five-decade conflict.
This shift in Ghana’s stance was documented in the joint communiqué issued at the conclusion of the Morocco-Ghana commission session. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, made the announcement during his meeting with Bourita, highlighting Ghana’s withdrawal of support for the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in January 2025 and its subsequent full endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
Ghana now considers the Moroccan plan the ‘only realistic and sustainable basis’ for resolving the conflict. This policy reversal, which included ending previous ties with the Polisario Front, underscores the broad African support for Morocco’s proposal, now backed by 116 countries—over 60% of UN member states.
Ghana’s government also threw its weight behind UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which expresses full support for the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to facilitate negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy plan, aiming for a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable settlement.
Bourita’s visit to Accra injected new momentum into bilateral relations, with both countries pledging to deepen cooperation across key sectors including banking, housing, infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, digital economy, mining, hydrocarbons and agriculture.
Economically, both ministers agreed to promote trade missions, entrepreneurial matchmaking and sector-specific trade fairs to boost bilateral trade and strengthen balance of payments. They also announced the establishment of a periodic Morocco-Ghana Economic and Investment Forum, with alternating host cities between the two nations.
Agriculture emerged as a key pillar of the partnership. Moroccan fertilizers from the OCP Group are set to enhance cocoa farming yields in Ghana and bolster the country’s agricultural output amid heavy reliance on food imports, valued at approximately $3 billion annually.
Ghana also reiterated its support for Morocco’s Atlantic Initiative, designed to facilitate landlocked Sahel nations’ access to global markets via the Atlantic Ocean. Accra remains committed to the Atlantic Africa Gas Pipeline project, which aims to connect Nigeria to Morocco.