Written by : Sarah Noureddine
Edited by: Penelope Cramer
Over the past five years, Morocco has quietly become one of Africa’s most active security players. Once seen as a peripheral Maghrebi actor, the kingdom is now forging a new regional posture, anchored in U.S. partnership, Israeli defence cooperation, and deepening ties with the Sahel.
In 2020, Morocco’s decision to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords laid the political groundwork for unprecedented military collaboration. A year later, the two countries signed a defence memorandum covering intelligence sharing, arms sales, and joint exercises, Israel’s first such agreement with an Arab state. Since then, defence cooperation has accelerated. Rabat has purchased Israeli systems including the Barak MX missile shield and, according to Le Monde, will begin local production of BlueBird Aero Systems drones through a 2024 partnership aimed at making Morocco a rare African drone manufacturer.
These steps complement a long-standing security relationship with Washington. As a Major Non-NATO Ally, Morocco hosts the U.S.-led African Lion exercises, now the continent’s largest military drills, involving more than 50 countries. In 2023, the U.S. approved a $524 million sale of HIMARS rocket systems and began upgrading Morocco’s fleet of F-16s to the advanced Viper standard. Analysts at the New Lines Institute note that Morocco now functions as a “logistical and operational anchor” for U.S. strategy in North Africa.
At the same time, Rabat has expanded its influence southward. Through the Atlantic Initiative, Morocco seeks to offer landlocked Sahel states, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, direct access to Atlantic ports, positioning itself as a trade and security gateway. On April 28 2025, King Mohammed VI hosted their foreign ministers in Rabat to endorse the plan, described by Modern Diplomacy as “the most coherent African-led initiative in a decade, free from ideological strings.” The initiative integrates logistics, energy, and counter-terrorism cooperation, positioning Morocco as a bridge between the Maghreb and West Africa.
Think-tank assessments frame this shif in policy as both strategic and pragmatic. According to Modern Diplomacy, Morocco’s diplomacy now emphasizes capacity-building and counter-radicalization rather than direct intervention. A report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) adds that the kingdom’s military modernization serves a dual purpose: deterring regional rivals like Algeria and gaining leverage in African multilateral institutions.
However, this discreet expansion is not without strain. Domestic protests continue against Israeli normalization, while Algeria views Rabat’s drone and missile acquisitions as destabilizing. Analysts at the European Union Institute for Security Studies describe Morocco’s approach as “strategic hedging”, balancing Western partnerships with autonomous regional initiatives.
By combining Israeli technology, U.S. military cooperation, and African diplomacy, Morocco is redrawing its strategic footprint. As global powers recalibrate their presence on the continent, Rabat’s mix of discretion and ambition is turning it into a quiet but decisive architect of Africa’s new security geography.