In this vein, the Sahel-Sahara Forum for Scientific Diplomacy, organised this month in Laayoune, has served to strengthen Moroccan-African relations through investment in scientific research, innovation and the exchange of academic expertise. In this sense, the country is establishing itself as a credible interlocutor in a region in urgent need of stability, leading a new form of African diplomacy that combines religious soft power with cooperation on security, migration and the environment. This is a historic step for the southern territories, following Resolution 2797 of the UN Security Council on the autonomy of the Sahara, which transforms the city of Laayoune into a future centre of scientific diplomacy in the Sahel and Sahara. In this regard, Morocco advocates decentralisation and regional development, highlighting the Sahara as a land of opportunity open to the development of partnerships with the Sahel. Promoting innovative scientific diplomacy.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 22, 2026 17:58 UTC