Mauritania joins West African states in forming new parliamentary alliance
MPs from Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and The Gambia launch regional bloc to promote diplomacy and stability amid complex challenges
DAKAR, Senegal (MNTV) — Lawmakers from Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and The Gambia have announced the creation of a new parliamentary alliance aimed at boosting regional cooperation and development in West Africa.
The initiative was unveiled in Dakar on Sunday during the closing session of Senegal’s 2024–2025 ordinary parliamentary term.
According to Mauritanian media, the alliance represents a shift in the role of African parliaments, evolving from purely national institutions into instruments of regional diplomacy and integration.
“This step signals a turning point in parliamentary action, positioning it as a force for regional cohesion and response to shared challenges,” the report noted.
The alliance is intended to promote greater unity and stability in a region grappling with interlinked political, economic, and security crises.
Morocco was represented at the event by Abdelmadjid El Fassi-Fihri, a member of the Istiqlal Party, while the President of Mauritania’s National Assembly, Mohamed Bamba Meguett, also attended the signing ceremony in Dakar.
Conspicuously absent was Algeria, which has not joined the alliance despite recent diplomatic engagements in the region.
Just days prior, Algerian National People’s Assembly President Brahim Boughali concluded a three-day visit to Mauritania, but the trip ended without a joint communiqué — a detail that has drawn attention in political circles.
The new bloc builds on earlier collaboration among the four countries. In September 2023, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and The Gambia were among 43 nations that joined the U.S.-led Atlantic Partnership initiative, which seeks to foster cross-regional cooperation across Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Diplomatic alignments within the alliance also highlight diverging stances on key issues. While Senegal and The Gambia have expressed support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, Mauritania maintains formal relations with the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a position it has held since 1984.
Analysts say the formation of the parliamentary alliance signals growing political will among coastal and Sahelian countries to deepen integration and assert regional agency in international affairs.
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