As events accelerate in the Republic of Niger, “international concerns” are growing over the potential disruption to international transport in the country due to the “escalating” security tension from coup plotters fearing a potential “foreign invasion.”
The recent coup in Niamey revives Moroccan professionals’ fears of a repeat of last year’s siege of Moroccan transport trucks in Burkina Faso, which exceeded 30 trucks.
Moroccan truck movements are active in West Africa, yet this activity is accompanied by persistent security threats, such as terrorist attacks and armed robberies. In 2021, two Moroccan transport trucks were subjected to an armed attack in Mali, killing both Moroccan drivers.
In the absence of any data on the number of Moroccan trucks heading to the Republic of Niger, international warnings about the security situation in this country raise questions about the status of this “vital category” for the Moroccan economy.
Mustafa Shaoun, President of the African Union for Transport and Logistics, said that “the security threats facing international transport, especially the Moroccan one, are not only linked to the recent coup in Niger, but have been a worrying concern since the beginning of this economic activity.”
Shaoun added, in a statement to Hespress, that “Moroccan drivers are accustomed to the lack of security in West Africa and the Sahel region,” pointing out that “the presence of a security threat in Niger for Moroccan drivers is negligible in light of modest Moroccan economic activity towards this country.”
Furthermore, the President of the African Union for Transport and Logistics said: “In addition to the small number of Moroccan trucks heading to Niger, this particular period is experiencing a significant decrease in international land transport movement in West and Coastal Africa due to rising temperatures.”
He added that “the real impact that could affect Moroccan trucks is on the Mali-Niger borders and the Niger region, as this area is particularly known for the transit of Moroccan land exports, yet it does not face a real threat at the moment.”
He explained that “international threats do not primarily concern Moroccan trucks, but may concern other countries active in Niger, or civilians traveling across the land borders.”
Shaoun stressed that “Moroccan trucks only pass through Niger as a transit country, and use this country’s border with Mali as a main passage to other countries in the region, especially Burkina Faso and Nigeria.”
According to the speaker, “Moroccan diplomacy has worked extensively to mitigate the security risks threatening Moroccan trucks in West Africa,” asserting that “achieving the safety of these trucks is linked to the political and security conditions of each country in this region and its full sovereignty, which no country can intervene in.”
He concluded to Hespress that “diplomatic efforts alone are not enough to stop the accumulated security threats in the West African region,” simultaneously calling for “the achievement of health insurance for Moroccan professional drivers, through the establishment of a clinic in Karkarat, and providing medication free of charge.”
