Morocco and Burkina Faso Strengthen Military Cooperation to Address Security Challenges in the Sahel
In light of the increasing security challenges facing the Sahel region, the military partnership between Morocco and Burkina Faso holds particular importance for this African nation, which aims to leverage Moroccan expertise in combating terrorist threats and enhancing its security and defense capabilities. This cooperation serves as a crucial lever to support Burkina Faso’s efforts to counter risks that threaten its stability and the safety of its citizens.
In this context, a delegation from the Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie and the Search and Rescue Unit of the Royal Armed Forces visited Burkina Faso from the 18th to the 21st of this month. The visit included a number of military institutions, such as the National Mine Clearance Center, the National Military Engineering Center, and the Burkinabé National Gendarmerie Command. Discussions during this visit focused on ways to enhance cooperation in areas such as the use of service dogs and the dismantling of improvised explosive devices.
The Moroccan delegation, led by Major Nabil Chekir, had the opportunity to learn about the capabilities of Burkinabé military engineering units and to observe the performance of the Special Intervention Unit of the National Gendarmerie (USIGN). They attended a series of field demonstrations featuring a group of police dogs and praised their performance, while also recalling the Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie’s experience in this area since the establishment of its unit in 1975.
Colonel Natama Kouagri, Chief of Staff of the Burkinabé National Gendarmerie, welcomed the Moroccan delegation at the headquarters of the Special Intervention Unit, a move that underscores the depth of relations between the two countries, which have been strengthened through exchanges of visits and the signing of military cooperation and training agreements. This dynamic is part of an ongoing strategic partnership, the latest being a visit by a delegation of Burkinabé armed forces officers to Morocco’s Military History Directorate during a training course last May.
