Rewiring Regional Resilience: The Moroccan Atlantic Initiative and the Geoeconomics of Connectivity in West Africa

Abstract

In a context of overlapping global crises and reconfigured global value chains, West Africa remains highly vulnerable to external shocks and constrained by structural connectivity deficits. This article analyzes the Moroccan Atlantic Initiative through a geoeconomic and resilience-oriented lens, assessing its capacity to address logistical asymmetries and fragmented regional integration. Moving beyond ideological readings, the Initiative is conceptualized as a pragmatic South–South cooperation model based on the provision of regional public goods. By prioritizing shared infrastructure, energy interdependence, and digital connectivity, the study examines its potential to restructure regional value chains and strengthen collective sovereignty. Drawing on theories of economic resilience, regional public goods, and economic geography, the analysis argues that the Initiative transforms structural vulnerabilities into drivers of adaptive regional integration. It concludes that the Moroccan Atlantic Initiative represents an innovative, infrastructure-led regionalism that complements continental frameworks while advancing Africa’s role as an active agent in global economic transformation.