Morocco-Senegal: the strength of ties, let's capitalize on achievements to build the future (By His Excellency Mr. Hassan Naciri)

Some relations between states are dictated by the interests of the moment, while others are shaped by history, embraced by the people, and enriched by successive generations. The relationship between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Senegal undoubtedly belongs to this second category.

Founded on over a millennium of human, commercial, intellectual, and spiritual exchanges, it rests on a deep connection between the two peoples. Under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, it has established itself as one of the Kingdom's strongest partnerships in Africa. Moreover, the Sovereign has made eight official visits to Senegal and, in 2016, delivered a speech to the Moroccan nation, an unprecedented event in the annals of royal protocol.

This means that the strength of these links constitutes a precious asset and also gives us a responsibility: to preserve the achievements, deepen them and translate them into concrete projects that meet the aspirations of our populations, especially our youth.

Shared values form the foundation of lasting trust

Moroccans and Senegalese share much more than a diplomatic relationship. From the moment of Senegal's independence, Morocco was one of the two countries that sponsored and supported its admission to the United Nations.

This political solidarity is rooted in a shared spiritual heritage. The common attachment to the Maliki rite, the Ash'ari dogma, and Sunni Sufism has profoundly shaped Moroccan and Senegalese societies.

Over the centuries, exchanges of scholars, Sufi brotherhoods, educational pathways, manuscripts, and the circulation of ideas have contributed to the formation of a shared intellectual and religious heritage. They have also fostered the spread of a moderate Islam, based on moderation, tolerance, and social cohesion.

The Tijaniyya brotherhood occupies a prominent place in this shared history. The ancient links uniting the great Senegalese Sufi families to the Kingdom have built a veritable spiritual geography linking Fez to Dakar, Tivaouane, Kaolack, Touba and the other religious centers of Senegal.

It is important to note that all Senegalese Sufi orders share the same framework as the Kingdom and benefit from the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful. In a world where religion is sometimes misused to sow division, Morocco and Senegal offer a valuable experience: that of a spirituality that brings peace, unites, and contributes to the stability of societies.

A renewed political will

Such a long-standing relationship cannot be limited to celebrating the past. It must continually renew itself and produce tangible results in the lives of the people.

In this regard, the constantly reaffirmed will of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and of his brother His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, to place the Moroccan-Senegalese partnership in a dynamic of action, trust and solidarity constitutes an essential lever.

The fifteenth session of the Joint High Commission for Cooperation, held in Rabat in January 2026 under the chairmanship of the Heads of Government of the two countries, is fully in line with this dynamic. Seventeen agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in fields as diverse as higher education, training, industry, agriculture, digital technology, energy, transport, youth, and health security.

Beyond the number of agreements reached, this meeting reaffirmed a constant: trust, solidarity, and consultation. It also outlined a vision: to orient the partnership more towards action, the effective implementation of commitments, closer ties between our economies, and the improvement of living conditions for our people.

Thus, capitalizing on achievements now means transforming agreements into realizations, bringing our administrations, businesses, universities and civil societies closer together, and making better use of our complementarities.

In this regard, the 1964 Establishment Convention provides a valuable framework for mobility, settlement, and investment. Thanks to their complementary strengths, Morocco and Senegal are well-positioned to form a link between North and West Africa and to actively contribute to continental economic integration.

Human development and youth are at the heart of our ambition

This dynamic is fully in line with the African vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, based on human development, solidarity and mutually beneficial South-South cooperation.

Africa is not seen as a mere space of opportunities, but as a community of destiny called upon to build for itself the conditions of its sovereignty, stability and prosperity.

Moroccan experiences in the fields of social protection, health, education, vocational training, infrastructure and energy transition constitute know-how to be shared and adapted while respecting the priorities of each African brother.

But while our history forms our foundation, our youth represents our future. Morocco and Senegal share a young, dynamic, creative, and globally minded population.

University exchanges are already one of the most visible pillars of our cooperation. For several decades, thousands of Senegalese students have been educated in Morocco. For the 2025-2026 academic year, more than 300 scholarships were made available to them. These scholarship recipients now hold important positions and are natural ambassadors for our partnership.

This virtuous dynamic is also reciprocal, with Senegal welcoming a growing number of Moroccan students, particularly in medicine and engineering, throughout the entire territory.

We need to go further by developing dual degree programs, joint research laboratories, teacher mobility, incubators, and networks for young entrepreneurs. Young people should not only benefit from cooperation, but should become its main drivers.

Relationships experienced by our people

Culture, mobility and sport also play an essential role in bringing our societies closer together.

Morocco and Senegal share rich cinematic, musical, literary, and artistic traditions. Co-productions, joint festivals, artist residencies, translations, and museum exchanges should be encouraged.

The depth of the relationship is also measured by the density of human connections: Senegalese people living or educated in Morocco, Moroccans residing in Senegal, students, traders, doctors, entrepreneurs, and mixed families. These communities keep the bilateral relationship alive on a daily basis.

Sport, too, is a powerful force for bringing people together. Football can evoke strong emotions, but a match lasts ninety minutes, while the friendship between Morocco and Senegal is measured over centuries.

We must commend the vision of the authorities of our two countries, as well as the sense of responsibility of the institutions, the media and opinion leaders who were able to prevail over reason in the face of conflation and attempts at manipulation.

This trust was recently demonstrated by the pardon granted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, to the Senegalese Gaindés, at the request of his brother, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The Senegalese Head of State publicly expressed his gratitude to the Sovereign, praising this act of great benevolence and fraternity.

This solidarity is also expressed through Morocco's support for the preparation of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. It finds a natural extension in the co-organization, by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Capitalize and take action

History has bequeathed to Morocco and Senegal an exceptional relationship, and our duty now is to give it a future worthy of its legacy.

Loyalty to our achievements does not mean immobility; on the contrary, it obliges us to renew our forms of cooperation and to transform the accumulated trust into projects that bring shared prosperity.

Our brotherly nations do not simply ask us to celebrate our closeness. They expect us to give this exceptional relationship ever more concrete expression, by nurturing it, enriching it, and adapting it to the challenges of our time. Our relationships do not need to be invented; they must be deepened, strengthened, and constantly renewed.

Capitalizing on their strength means preserving their soul.

Consolidating their achievements means serving our people.

Projecting them towards the youth means building the future together.

By His Excellency Mr. Hassan Naciri,

Ambassador of His Majesty the King to Senegal

Opinion piece published on the occasion of the 2026 Throne Day