Morocco Plans Airport in Southern Sahara to Combat Sahel Jihadist Threat, Warns of “New Afghanistan” Risk
Morocco, with U.S. and French support, is planning an airport in the Sahara to launch strikes against jihadist targets in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. This initiative addresses the escalating threat from ISGS and emphasizes Morocco's role in counterterrorism, aiming to prevent the Sahel's destabilization from impacting Europe.
hassan benyoub 
Rabat, March 5, 2025 – Morocco, in collaboration with the United States and France, is exploring the construction of an airport at the southern tip of the Sahara to launch drone and fighter jet strikes against jihadist bases in the Sahel, targeting Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. This strategic move aims to neutralize what experts describe as an escalating threat—not only to these nations but to Morocco itself, seen by jihadists as a barrier to their expansion toward Europe.
A Strategic Counterterrorism Hub
The proposed airport, located near Morocco’s southern Sahara border, would serve as a launchpad for aerial operations against the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and other jihadist groups. This initiative follows a recent Moroccan intelligence operation that thwarted a series of planned attacks, uncovering a jihadist arsenal in Errachidia, a border town near Algeria. The operation, led by the General Directorate of External Security and the International Terrorism Combat Office, arrested 12 suspects and seized explosives, advanced weapons, and classified documents from a secret logistics hub.
The network, directed by ISGS’s Sahel external operations chief, aimed to destabilize Morocco and create a corridor for attacks on Europe, according to HesPress. Posts on X praised the operation as a “vital blow” to jihadist ambitions, with @MoroccoSecurity noting, “This shows Morocco’s frontline role against Sahel terror” ([X posts, March 4, 2025]).
Rising Threat in the Sahel
Geostrategic expert Al-Sharqawi Al-Rudani, in his HesPress analysis, warned that jihadist groups, particularly ISGS, view Morocco as a prime target in a broader destabilization strategy aimed at breaching Europe. “As the last barrier before the European continent, Morocco plays a pivotal role in neutralizing transborder jihadist flows,” he wrote. The Sahel’s instability—marked by weak state structures and international inertia—has become fertile ground for ISGS, he added, citing recent attacks in Mali and Niger.
Al-Rudani cautioned that without urgent, coordinated action, the Sahel risks becoming “a new Afghanistan.” He argued, “The Islamic State’s strategic shift to this region isn’t just sowing terror locally but laying the groundwork for a global tragedy. If the international community doesn’t act decisively, the world could face unprecedented security fallout.”
This aligns with web reports on ISGS’s expansion, noting its ties to al-Qaeda and operations along the Mali-Niger border (UN Security Council, Feb 2025), and Morocco’s role as a counterterrorism bulwark (Modern Diplomacy, Feb 25, 2025).
Why It Matters
Morocco’s airport plan reflects its growing partnership with the U.S. and France, building on recent Apache AH-64E helicopter deliveries and F-16 upgrades to tackle Sahel threats ([Apache arrival, March 3, 2025]). It addresses jihadist networks dismantling over 200 cells since 2002, per Moroccan security data, and counters ISGS’s aim to use the Sahel as a launchpad for European attacks. Posts on X express alarm, with @GlobalSecurityNow warning, “The Sahel could destabilize the Atlantic if ignored” ([X posts, March 5, 2025]).
The project also responds to regional instability, exacerbated by the Wagner Group’s influence and failed interventions, creating a vacuum for ISGS growth (CFR, Feb 2025).
What’s Next?
Feasibility studies and U.S.-French coordination are underway, with construction potentially starting by 2026. Success hinges on funding, regional buy-in, and countering Algerian tensions, given Errachidia’s proximity.
