Makhzen regime treats Africans generously amid soaring internal economic, social crises
By : Hana Saada
ALGIERS – The King of Morocco Mohammed VI is harshly criticized for his lack of response to the current economic and social crises in Morocco. Despite protests against the high cost of living and the inertia of the government, the monarch preferred to take refuge in Gabon, far from poor Moroccans.
The king showed generosity to Gabonese and Senegalese farmers by donating 2,000 tons and 5,000 tons of fertilizers, respectively. Some patriots have welcomed this initiative by extolling the merits of “phosphate diplomacy”, which consists of rallying African countries to the Moroccan proposal for an autonomy plan for Western Sahara.
Despite this, the majority of Moroccans believe that the king should have shown solidarity with Moroccan farmers who also suffer from high fertilizer prices. Indeed, the king is the boss of the Agricultural Domains, the largest agricultural and agri-food company in Morocco, of which two-thirds of the production is intended for export and the remaining third for the national market.
Some, therefore, wonder why the king did not use his position to help Moroccans in precarious situations, instead of focusing on African countries. While the protest is spreading to the kingdom, the government could have acted to alleviate the social misery of Moroccans.
In the end, King Mohammed VI’s gift of fertilizers to friendly African countries can be welcomed, but many Moroccans believe the precarious situation in their own country should be addressed first.
Morocco is going through a lasting economic crisis that risks fueling social protest. According to a survey by the National Office for Human Development (ONDH) in 2019, nearly 45% of Moroccans consider themselves poor, including 38.6% in urban areas and 58.4% in rural areas. In addition, 3.2 million people have fallen into poverty or vulnerability as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
The agricultural sector, affected by last year’s drought, is also deteriorating, leading to lower growth forecast for 2023, according to a World Bank report on global economic prospects. The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Davos report also confirms that Morocco is seriously threatened by the cost of living crisis, inflation, rising commodity prices, supply risks and debt.
The overall poverty rate reaches 30.2% in provinces such as Oued-Eddahab (south), according to the mapping of poverty in Morocco (2004-2014) by the High Commission for Planning (HCP). This precariousness and social exclusion could surreptitiously fuel protest movements, particularly in peri-urban areas where insecurity, crime and radicalization are factors in the implosion of the social order.
Faced with this alarming situation, the Moroccan authorities must take urgent measures to combat the economic crisis and prevent a possible social explosion. Morocco cannot afford to continue ignoring the socio-economic problems which risk jeopardizing the stability of the country.
