Casablanca – Burkina Faso has reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara and the country’s autonomy plan during a meeting between Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Burkinabè counterpart Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré in New York.
Traoré made the remarks today after meeting Bourita on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking to the press, the Burkinabè foreign minister said his country’s position on what he called the Moroccanness of the Sahara “has not changed.”
He also reiterated Burkina Faso’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan. Traoré said Morocco had put forward a plan that had received the endorsement of the United Nations and confirmed that Ouagadougou would continue to support it.
The meeting also covered King Mohammed VI’s initiative to facilitate access to the Atlantic Ocean for landlocked Sahel countries. Traoré welcomed the initiative and said task forces now operate in the countries involved. He added that his talks with Bourita focused on the next steps the two countries would take together.
The latest exchange comes as Rabat and Ouagadougou continue to expand their bilateral cooperation. The two countries marked 60 years of diplomatic relations in December 2025, when they also held the fifth session of their joint commission. The meeting produced 14 agreements covering areas including agriculture, vocational training, trade and security. Moroccan Ambassador to Burkina Faso Youssef Slaoui said in March that the two countries planned to implement a new roadmap for cooperation during 2026.
Burkina Faso and Morocco have also maintained close coordination on regional issues. In July, Morocco’s ambassador in Ouagadougou described bilateral relations as excellent and pointed to a convergence of views on regional, continental and international issues.
The Atlantic initiative remains one of the main areas of cooperation between Morocco and the Sahel countries. Morocco has promoted the initiative as a way to connect landlocked states with Atlantic trade routes and strengthen regional economic integration. Burkina Faso has taken part in discussions on how to turn the initiative into concrete cooperation, including meetings involving the foreign ministers of Morocco, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad.
Traoré’s latest comments in New York therefore reaffirm Burkina Faso’s position on the Sahara while placing the issue within a broader relationship that Rabat and Ouagadougou have continued to develop across political, economic and regional cooperation.
