Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco have opened the first session of their Joint Ivorian-Moroccan Military Commission in Abidjan, marking a new stage in military cooperation between the two countries.

The commission is being held from Sept. 15 to 19, 2026, in accordance with a military cooperation agreement signed in Rabat on May 9, 2025. The agreement provides for the establishment of a Joint Military Commission that meets annually, alternating between Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco.

As part of the first session, Army General Lassina Doumbia, Chief of the General Staff of the Ivorian Armed Forces, received a delegation from Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces on Wednesday morning. The delegation was led by Major General Mohamed Lakouti, Inspector of the Royal Artillery.

The meeting took place in the honorary room of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, in the presence of senior officials from both sides. The two military commanders discussed the longstanding relationship between their institutions and expressed a shared commitment to raising bilateral military cooperation to a strategic level.

The officials also highlighted the importance of the first commission as a platform for dialogue and coordination between the two armed forces.

Doumbia reaffirmed the commitment of the Ivorian Armed Forces to making the partnership a model of South-South military cooperation.

Following the meeting, the Moroccan delegation travelled to the Army Hotel in Abidjan, where the commission’s working sessions continued.

The discussions are focused on reviewing military cooperation initiatives already carried out by the two countries, assessing their progress and defining a roadmap for the partnership for the coming year.

The first session of the Joint Ivorian-Moroccan Military Commission therefore provides a formal framework for both countries to evaluate existing cooperation and establish priorities for its further development.