Morocco and Burkina Faso: Renewed Military Partnership Strengthens African Security
ALDAR/ Sara El Oukili
A high-level Moroccan military delegation visited Ouagadougou from August 18 to 21, 2025, on an official trip that carried a strategic dimension beyond ceremonial protocol, reflecting Rabat’s commitment to supporting continental stability and enhancing defense capabilities.
The Moroccan delegation, which included officers from the Royal Gendarmerie and the Rescue Unit of the Royal Armed Forces, conducted a series of field visits to the National Mine Action Center, the Military Engineering Dogs Center, and the headquarters of the Burkina Faso National Gendarmerie. These visits provided an opportunity to explore practical cooperation in areas such as explosive ordnance disposal and the deployment of police dogs in field operations—an area in which Morocco has accumulated over half a century of expertise through the Royal Gendarmerie’s canine training center.
Discussions between the two sides highlighted the importance of exchanging expertise and developing joint training programs, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of specialized units in confronting terrorist threats and mine-related risks, which continue to pose a significant danger in various regions across the continent. The visit concluded with an official meeting with officials from Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, emphasizing that military cooperation between the two countries represents an additional building block in establishing collective African security based on solidarity and knowledge exchange.
Through this initiative, Morocco continues to consolidate its position as a reliable regional actor on the continent, relying on a practical approach that combines security and humanitarian dimensions, seeks to protect African populations from threats of terrorism and organized crime, and promotes an African-to-African cooperation model that strengthens stability and shared development.
