• Morocco and The Gambia sign defense cooperation MoU during official Rabat visit
• Agreement includes training, joint exercises, and a rotating military commission
• Deal supports regional security amid Sahel instability and transnational threats
  

Morocco and The Gambia have signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation. The agreement was announced on October 30, 2025, during an official visit to Rabat by Gambian Defense Minister Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof.

It covers collaboration in training, exercises, exchange programs, and the sharing of expertise and operational experience across areas of mutual interest. It also provides for the creation of a joint military commission to define the priorities of cooperation. The commission will meet alternately in Rabat and Banjul.

“Peace and stability are the cornerstones of Africa's development and that the signing of the MoU between The Gambia and the Kingdom of Morocco will exemplify the trajectory of African cooperation in global and regional peace, stability, and security,” said Abdellatif Loudyi, Morocco’s Minister of Defense.

Morocco faces a range of transnational threats, including terrorism and organized crime. Its strategic position as a major transit route for migrants and drug trafficking to Europe heightens its exposure. The government has implemented a national security strategy for 2022-2026, with a strong focus on combating organized and cross-border crime.

The Gambia, meanwhile, has not yet experienced violent extremism, according to the West Africa Think Tank (WATHI), but remains vulnerable to the regional risks linked to militant activity across the Sahel and West Africa.

According to the Global Firepower Index, Morocco ranks as the seventh-strongest military power in Africa, while The Gambia is listed among the ten safest countries on the continent in 2025, WATHI reports.

Lydie Mobio