Morocco is considering the construction of a military airport in the extreme south of the Sahara to address the alleged growing threat posed by terrorist groups in the Sahel. The project, reportedly involving cooperation with the United States and France, is intended to reinforce regional security as Western forces gradually withdraw from the area.
The airport would reportedly serve as an operational base for deploying drones and fighter jets to conduct targeted airstrikes against jihadist sanctuaries in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Beyond regional security concerns, Morocco has recently intensified its counterterrorism measures domestically. A recent intelligence operation dismantled a cell affiliated with the Islamic State-Sahel, active in nine Moroccan cities. Twelve individuals were arrested, and a stockpile of explosives and firearms was seized in Errachidia and near the Algerian border.
While the stated purpose of the military base is to counter jihadist threats in the Sahel, its location in the “extreme south of the Sahara” raises questions about its potential use against the Polisario Front and Sahrawi separatists. Morocco considers Western Sahara (the most likely location for the base) an integral part of its territory and has previously clashed with the Polisario Front, a separatist movement advocating for independence from Morocco, supported by Algeria.
The potential airport project comes as shifting dynamics in the Sahel, including the withdrawal of French forces, creating potential security gaps. According to the Global Terrorism Index, Sahel countries now account for 48% of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.