Rebellion and Dissent within Moroccan Royal Army and Police Amidst Succession Conflict between Crown Prince and Moulay Hisham over Mohammed VI’s Succession

Reports from the Al Khabar newspaper, titled “House of Mohammed VI in Flames,” reveal a sharp division among officers and personnel within the Royal Armed Forces and Moroccan security agencies. This internal strife is characterized by escalating desertions and declarations of disobedience, fueled by deep-seated rifts and rivalries within the Moroccan military.

Moroccan authorities have issued instructions, warnings, and threats to media outlets and online news sites to refrain from leaking news of the internal conflict and rebellion, fearing its spread to the public. Reports of fatalities in clashes between Moulay Hicham’s personal guard and the Crown Prince’s security detail have been suppressed, with authorities blocking social media pages that reported on these incidents and arresting their administrators.

The mutiny and dissent have spread to include ranks of the Moroccan security forces, witnessing an unprecedented uprising as they refuse to suppress daily popular protests across Moroccan cities. This unrest follows a surge in popular anger over dismal social and economic conditions, worsened by the government’s inability to pay wages and salaries, pushing the country to the brink of collapse.

The regime’s insistence on strengthening ties with the Zionist entity has fueled the growing anger in the streets, with security forces refusing to suppress it unlike before. This is especially significant as the Zionist occupation army continues its brazen killings of Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied territories, resulting in ongoing massacres for the past seven months. These atrocities have left over 34,000 martyrs and hundreds of thousands injured, displaced, and have devastated the infrastructure in the region.

Many police officers have joined the “Free Officers Movement,” which was announced in recent months. This revolutionary movement began with the defection of hundreds of Moroccan officers and soldiers from a military barracks in the city of Rabat, breaking away from the ranks of the Royal Armed Forces. This forced the leadership of the Royal Army, benefiting from the palace’s generosity, to declare a state of extreme emergency. During this period, senior officials in the barracks where the rebellion occurred were detained and referred to military courts, including soldiers who refused to serve when it came to continuing campaigns of repression against the Sahrawi people.

As the number of members joining the “Free Officers Movement” within the “rebel army” continues to increase daily, the organization is becoming more organized and cohesive. This trend is likely to embolden the establishment of a parallel army, which could garner significant support from large segments of the Moroccan population. These individuals increasingly find themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty and oppression imposed by the privileged elite within the royal palace.