Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have backed Morocco's plan to grant them access to the Atlantic Ocean via its ports. This follows their departure from ECOWAS and a shift toward Russian military support. The foreign ministers confirmed their support for the initiative during a meeting with King Mohammed VI, amid growing tensions with Algeria over airspace violations.

The landlocked countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have endorsed an initiative proposed by Morocco to provide them with access to the Atlantic Ocean, as announced by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to a ministry statement, the foreign ministers of the three military-ruled West African nations conveyed their countries’ positions during a meeting on Monday with King Mohammed VI in Rabat, Morocco's capital.

Last year, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced their departure from the regional bloc ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). They formed a new security alliance called the Alliance of Sahel States, severed military ties with long-standing Western partners such as the United States and France, and sought military support from Russia.

In December 2023, Morocco introduced a trade initiative aimed at facilitating the landlocked countries' access to the Atlantic Ocean through Moroccan ports, especially after ECOWAS imposed trade restrictions on the three junta-led nations. During their meeting with King Mohammed VI, the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger expressed their "full support for and commitment to accelerating the implementation" of this initiative, according to the ministry's statement.

The meeting occurred amid rising tensions between Morocco and its regional rival, Algeria, and the Sahel states. Last month, Algeria claimed to have shot down a Malian drone that had crossed into its airspace near the border town of Tin Zaouatine. Mali, however, denied that the drone had crossed the border.