Morocco announces new international border crossing with Mauritania
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The announcement follows the completion of a new road connecting Smara to the international border between the two countries.
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Illustrative: In this February 27, 2011 file photo, pro-independence Polisario Front rebel soldiers pray after sunset in the Western Sahara village of Tifariti. (AP)
Morocco has announced the opening of a new international border crossing with Mauritania, linking the city of Smara in southern Morocco with Bir Moghrein in northern Mauritania, passing through the Amgala region.
The announcement follows the completion of a new road connecting Smara to the international border between the two countries and Mauritania's Ministry of Interior's official approval of the opening of the new land crossing with Morocco via Bir Moghrein.
According to Morocco’s 24 Heures news outlet, the new border post aims to strengthen economic and trade integration between the two nations while facilitating the movement of people and goods. So far, cross-border transit has been primarily conducted through the Guerguerat-Nouadhibou route, linking Morocco to Mauritania’s economic capital.
Mauritania's Interior Ministry confirmed that the crossing would boost mobility and trade between the two countries and serve as a strategic extension of the Atlantic Gateway project, which seeks to develop a modern transport network to support regional and international trade.
This initiative is part of a broader set of joint strategic projects between Morocco and Mauritania, including efforts to interconnect electricity grids and high-speed internet networks. It also aligns with the African Gas Pipeline project, which links Nigeria to Morocco and several other countries, including Mauritania.
The Atlantic-Moroccan Initiative aims to overcome the geographical isolation of Sahel countries by providing access to Mauritanian and Moroccan ports on the Atlantic Ocean, thereby enhancing trade and economic exchange in the region.
