Sacred Bonds and Strategic Influence: The Spiritual Foundations of Moroccan-African Diplomacy

Abstract

This article examines the spiritual dimension as a constitutive variable in Moroccan-African foreign policy, tracing its evolution from a diffuse historical and emotional heritage into a structured institutional framework of soft power. Drawing on constructivist international relations theory and Joseph Nye's concept of soft power, the study argues that Morocco has systematically transformed its centuries-old religious and Sufi legacy in sub-Saharan Africa into a deliberately engineered form of spiritual diplomacy. The analysis proceeds across two principal axes: first, the historical and doctrinal foundations of the Moroccan-African spiritual commons, encompassing the Almoravid expansion, the Maliki-Ash'ari doctrinal tradition, and the transnational influence of Sufi brotherhoods—most notably the Tijaniyya; and second, the institutional architecture through which this heritage has been operationalized, including the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Scholars and the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams. The article further interrogates the functional deployment of spiritual diplomacy in the domains of security—specifically counter-extremism in the Sahel—and geopolitics, particularly in Morocco's reintegration into the African Union and the management of the Western Sahara issue. Finally, it maps the competitive landscape in which Morocco's spiritual strategy operates, confronting rival religious diplomacies emanating from Algeria, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. The study concludes that Morocco's spiritual soft power constitutes a structurally significant instrument of national interest projection, yet one whose efficacy remains contingent upon sustained institutional investment, regional adaptability, and the management of geopolitical friction.