Maghreb Edition

Morocco: Fallout from el-Hoceima unrest: Royal purge of government continuesF



Posted On 22 November 2017

Number of times this article was read : 579

The North Africa Journal – November 22, 2017: On November 13, 2017, a second round of firings hit the Moroccan government, with King Mohammed VI dismissing no less than seven General Secretaries of ministries for their alleged incompetence in implementing the state’s economic program for the Rif region, and El-Hoceima specifically.

The first to go was Abdelouahed Fikrat, the General Secretary at the Prime Ministry. It’s hard to know why Fikrat was fired, considering that he was just the second most senior official at the Ministry of the Environment when the unrest in El-Hoceima started. And the Ministry of Environment hardly calls the shots when it comes to regional economic development.

In addition to the sacked General Secretaries at the ministries of tourism, health, culture, housing, and youth/sports, three Central Directors were among a list of dismissals that is expected to expand over the coming months.

Podcast: Development Without Aid: Power, Politics, and Local Resilience in the Global South$

A conversation with Dr. Kate Schecter, President and CEO of World Neighbors, on how community-led development works in practice across the Global South.

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Security: Hackers Publish Names Tied to Morocco’s Police and Intelligence Services$

Hackers operating as Jabaroot published four spreadsheets naming more than 70,000 alleged members of Morocco’s police and intelligence directorates, branding the release around the July 30 Ceuta border breach. European services reviewing the files consider the names genuine but dated, and accounts of their origin conflict sharply. Rabat has not responded, leaving the hackers’ framing to circulate unchallenged in Madrid and Brussels.

Morocco Faces Balancing Test Over Potential Gaza Security Role$

A reported plan for a Moroccan military outpost in Gaza is raising questions about Rabat’s regional strategy. While participation in a multinational stabilization force could be framed as humanitarian and security support, a visible troop presence inside an Israeli-controlled area risks political backlash at home and abroad. The proposal highlights the tension between Morocco’s ties to Israel and its longstanding positioning as a supporter of Palestinian interests.

Morocco: Rights Group Says it Documented 130 Deaths Among Would-Be Migrants in Morocco-Spain Border Breach Disaster$

The official death toll from a mass border crossing into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta has risen to at least 72, but a rights group says it knows of 130 deaths and so many others missing. Morocco and Spain are facing growing pressure to explain how tens of thousands of people managed to force their way into European territory in a matter of days.

Written by The NAJ

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.