Morocco and France Sign Historic Agreement Ending Colonial Cartographic Oversight and Affirming Moroccan Sovereignty
In a move with strategic and sovereign implications, Morocco and France have signed a historic agreement that officially transfers the responsibility for producing and distributing maritime maps of Moroccan waters from the French Navy to its Moroccan counterpart, effectively ending decades of technical oversight dating back to the colonial era.
The agreement, announced within the framework of what both parties described as “enhancing technical and military cooperation,” puts an end to the role of the French Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM) in this area and paves the way for the Royal Moroccan Navy to assume full responsibilities in managing sovereign maritime data.
A Major Shift in Managing Moroccan Waters
For the first time, maritime maps will be produced and distributed from within Rabat, marking a tangible advancement in Morocco’s technical sovereignty, especially as these maps are not only used for civilian navigation but also serve as vital tools for operational coordination among naval forces, protecting natural resources, and monitoring territorial waters.
These maps had been produced for years in Paris, without Morocco being able to fully control their production and distribution, despite these waters being entirely under its sovereignty. The continuation of this status quo reflected a remnant of the protectorate system, even decades after political independence.
Geopolitical and Technical Stakes
The agreement should not only be interpreted through a technical lens but is also intertwined with a growing dynamism in Moroccan politics aimed at reinforcing national sovereignty in vital sectors, particularly those related to maritime security, energy, and protecting maritime borders, amidst regional tensions and shifts in the balance of power in North Africa.
It also occurs within the context of Moroccan-French relations undergoing a phase of restructuring, after a period of political chill in recent years. Observers suggest that this technical rapprochement could serve as a gateway to a broader political alignment, especially following Paris’s openness to Rabat’s positions on sensitive issues such as the Sahara conflict.
Enhancing Moroccan Naval Capabilities
The agreement also includes programs for training Moroccan personnel, transferring expertise, and modernizing hydrographic survey systems. This will enable Morocco to develop its sovereign database, gradually reduce reliance on foreign systems, and benefit from advanced technologies in navigation, monitoring marine phenomena, and exploring underwater resources.
Rabat does not hide its ambitions to become a regional naval power, a reality evidenced by the scale of investments in port infrastructure, modernizing the military naval fleet, and intensifying training in marine defense sectors.
