Despite the still tense atmosphere following recent sporting incidents, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko begins an official visit to Rabat this Monday, January 26. This strategic trip aims to reaffirm the strength of the Dakar-Rabat axis, which has been severely tested by the tensions arising from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.

An agenda focused on the economy

This visit is officially part of the Senegalese-Moroccan "major joint commission" meeting, scheduled for January 26 and 27. In addition to institutional meetings, an economic forum is being organized to strengthen cooperation in key sectors such as:

1. Tourism and energy.
2. Training and infrastructure.
3. Transportation.

Senegal remains a vital partner for the Kingdom, representing the largest foreign resident community in Morocco (18.4% of the immigrant population).

The shadow of the January 18th final

The political climate remains marked by the clashes that occurred during Senegal's 1-0 victory over Morocco. As a reminder, the controversial video refereeing decision led to an initial withdrawal of the Senegalese players, before a pitch invasion by supporters.

Today, the legal situation is weighing heavily on the discussions: 18 Senegalese supporters are still in pretrial detention in Morocco for "hooliganism". Their trial, initially scheduled to begin on Thursday, has been postponed until January 29th.

Mohammed VI and Ousmane Sonko are playing the appeasement card.

Faced with the virulence of the exchanges on social media, the two chief executives are trying to put an end to the charade:

"Once the passion has subsided, inter-African fraternity will naturally prevail," said King Mohammed VI , while deploring "unfortunate" actions.

For his part, Ousmane Sonko called for a more depoliticized approach to the event, emphasizing that these incidents must remain strictly within the realm of sport. For the Prime Minister, the issue is clear: to prevent a football match from jeopardizing centuries of religious and fraternal ties between the two nations.