Morocco is nearing the completion of a new border crossing with Mauritania at Amgala. Construction is over 95/percent complete. This new route, the second land link between the two countries, marks a strategic change in regional politics and trade across the Sahara.
The 93-kilometer road connects Smara to the Mauritanian border through Amgala and Tifariti. It cost MAD 49.7 million (about $5 million). Regional Director Samih Zemmari said the project includes four road sections. The last 53-kilometer part of National Road 17 is 88/percent finished. It cost MAD 28.23 million.
The first three sections, totaling 40 kilometers, were completed between 2017 and 2023. They cost MAD 7 million (2017), MAD 9.54 million (2022), and MAD 4.92 million (2023). Final road signs are being added to all sections.
A 3,600-square-meter roadside station will serve travelers. It cost MAD 900,000. The station will have a mosque, housing, a café, and sanitary facilities.
Smara Province Governor Brahim Boutoumilate also launched a taxi service linking Smara and Amgala via the Agida region. This service will improve local mobility.
In Mauritania, Interior Minister Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Al Amine announced eight border crossings with Morocco. This was under decree number 00129 on February 11. These new crossings expand from the previous single point at Guerguerat. The crossings include Tmeimichatt in Chami district and Al Kalb in Zouérat. There are also points in Fderîck and Aïn Ben Tili districts.
These changes are seen as a setback for the Polisario Front. Mauritania’s actions are viewed as support for Morocco’s control over Western Sahara. The separatist group attacked Guerguerat’s buffer zone in 2020 but faced a strong response from Morocco.
The Amgala crossing is part of King Mohammed VI’s “Atlantic Initiative.” It aims to give landlocked Sahel countries access to the Atlantic Ocean. Fatima Saida, president of Amgala commune, called it a “logistical bridge” linking Morocco, Mauritania, and the rest of Africa.
The project’s timing follows Mauritania’s decision not to join Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s proposed “alternative Maghreb Union” that excludes Morocco. Instead, Morocco and Mauritania are strengthening ties. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani met King Mohammed VI in Casablanca on December 20, 2024.
Energy cooperation is also growing. On January 23, Morocco’s Energy Minister Leila Benali signed a deal with Mauritania’s Energy Minister Mohamed Ould Khalid. This aims to boost partnerships in electricity and renewable energy. On February 4, a power interconnection agreement was signed in Nouakchott.
The Mauritanian National Assembly recently supported the “Rabat Declaration.” This aligns with 20 African countries in backing the Moroccan Atlantic Initiative. It stresses respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Morocco now controls large areas beyond its defensive sand wall. This limits Polisario separatists mostly to Tindouf in Algeria.
The new corridor is expected to boost trade, create jobs, and improve stability in border areas. It will benefit communities in Amgala and Tifariti. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad support the plan, seeing it as a new trade route to global markets through the Atlantic Ocean.