The 5th High-Level Meeting of Heads of Counterterrorism and Security Agencies in Africa opened in El Jadida, confirming the central role of the “Marrakech Platform” in continental coordination against terrorist threats.
El Jadida is hosting the fifth edition of the High-Level Meeting of Heads of Counterterrorism and Security Agencies in Africa, known as the “Marrakech Platform”. Co-chaired by Morocco and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), this high-level gathering confirms the Kingdom’s position as a major player in regional and international security cooperation.
Held over two days, this edition brings together around forty African intelligence and security services. It also sees the participation of 90 delegations from the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia, attending as observers. Representatives of United Nations regional institutions are also taking part in the proceedings, giving the meeting an African, international and multilateral dimension.
This strong mobilization reflects the growing interest in the “Marrakech Platform”. It also highlights the need to strengthen consultation mechanisms in the face of a terrorist threat that remains persistent, shifting and increasingly complex. Across the African continent, terrorist groups continue to adapt their modes of operation, exploit local fragilities and take advantage of crisis areas, regional tensions and zones of security vulnerability.
In this context, the El Jadida meeting follows on from a process launched in Marrakech in 2022, then continued in Tangier in 2023, Fez in 2024 and Agadir in 2025. This steady progression reflects the consolidation of a platform that has, over successive editions, become a structuring framework for dialogue between African counterterrorism and security agencies. It also reflects the will to anchor cooperation over the long term, beyond immediate responses to crises.
The “Marrakech Platform” stands out for its pragmatic approach. It provides a space for direct exchange among security officials, enabling the sharing of expertise, the analysis of emerging trends and the identification of priorities for capacity-building. In a field where the speed of information, operational coordination and trust among partners are essential, this dialogue framework constitutes a strategic lever.
The interest shown by African countries, as well as by many international partners, reaffirms the central role of this initiative. The participation of delegations from several regions of the world underlines that the fight against terrorism in Africa does not concern the continent alone. It is part of a global security architecture, in which Africa’s stability is directly linked to regional and international balances.
For Morocco, this meeting confirms a consistent orientation: promoting security cooperation based on exchange, anticipation and the strengthening of national and regional capacities. Drawing on its experience in counterterrorism and its multidimensional approach to security, the Kingdom is helping to consolidate an African space for coordination, while respecting the priorities specific to each country.
The fifth meeting in El Jadida thus marks a new stage in the consolidation of the “Marrakech Platform”. By bringing together African services, international partners and United Nations representatives, it confirms its status as an essential forum for better understanding the changing nature of the threat, strengthening regional cooperation and supporting collective efforts in favor of security and stability in Africa.
