Morocco Signs Strategic MoU with AMSG at IMC 2025

By Majda Bouzaroita

Marrakech – Morocco has signaled a new chapter in Africa’s mining landscape with the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG).

The agreement, signed by Minister Leila Benali and AMSG Secretary-General Moses Micheal during the opening of the 2nd Morocco International Mining Congress (IMC 2025), aims to strengthen responsible and sustainable mining governance across Africa. Key initiatives include advancing a continent-wide ESG framework and supporting the Origination–Transit–Certification (OTC) corridor to enhance value chains and regional integration.

The MoU followed a high-level ministerial panel featuring representatives from Morocco, Mauritania, and Comoros, who discussed the corridor’s potential to reshape African mining cooperation. Morocco, positioned as Africa’s most attractive mining jurisdiction, is hosting IMC 2025 from November 24–26, reaffirming its role as a hub for continental mining dialogue.

Speaking to MWN, Moses Micheal described the partnership as a “pivotal step for Africa,” emphasizing its role in advancing African-led environmental, social, and governance standards. Minister Benali echoed this sentiment, announcing the launch of a new ESG framework designed “by Africans, for Africans,” with active participation from mining ministers across the continent.

Mauritania’s Minister of Mines and Industry, Tidjiani Thiam, highlighted the strength of Moroccan-Mauritanian relations and called for a shared legal framework among African nations to ensure “fruitful, stable, continuous, and sustainable cooperation.”

The signing of the MoU underscores Morocco’s ambition to reshape Africa’s mining governance, positioning the continent at the forefront of global mineral strategies while ensuring sustainability and equitable growth.