Morocco and Saudi Arabia step up the fight against terrorism
The controversy over terrorism in the Islamic world is a pending task for the governments of the Gulf countries. While the action of radical groups is decreasing, attacks and recruitments in the Sahel region are still persistent. In an attempt to alleviate the situation, the Riyadh administration and Rabat met in January to agree on a series of measures whose main focus is to eradicate funding channels.
The principle of agreement signed on 24 January in Rabat by Abdellatif Hammouchi, head of Morocco's Directorates General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), and Abdullah Fahad Salih Al-Owais, vice president of Saudi State Se, was the beginning of laying the groundwork. Development, cooperation, the fight against terrorism and the search for an end to the financing of radicalism are the four pillars on which the main powers of the Arab world want to sustain security and balance in the region.
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— NejMaroc (@NejMaroc) January 24, 2023
Le directeur général de la Sûreté nationale et de la Surveillance du territoire, Abdellatif Hammouchi a reçu, mardi à Rabat, Abdullah Fahad Salih Al-Owais, vice-président de la sûreté de l’Etat saoudien.
Since the two states have been working together on security, the Kingdom of Morocco has torpedoed more than 500 potential terrorist attacks in the last 20 years. Moreover, since the beginning of 2021, the Rabat government managed to disable 214 terrorist cells - 88% belonging to Daesh - and brought 4,304 susceptibles to court. To address the threats affecting the MENA region, particularly terrorism and other organised crime, Morocco signed numerous security cooperation agreements with international partners as part of its efforts to combat terrorism.
The Alawi country not only works with partners in the Arab world, but also extends its relations to the West. By working together on security planning and counter-radicalisation, the US and Morocco are trying to stop terrorism. The Moroccan government has maintained its comprehensive strategy in this regard, according to the US State Department, which includes strict security measures, regional and international cooperation and anti-radicalisation policies. However, the North African nation has not experienced any terrorist incidents in 2021. Morocco's participation in the Global Counterterrorism Forum, which it co-chairs with Canada, the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh's Working Group on Countering Violent Extremism, and the coalition's Africa Reflection Group are mentioned in the US report.
To discuss possible areas of cooperation against regional threats, Hammouchi hosted Major General Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei from Abu Dhabi in October 2022. Qatar has requested assistance and expertise from Morocco to help provide security during the 2022 World Cup, which was held in the Gulf nation in late 2022.
The Saudi delegation's visit, according to a DGST statement, "reflects the strong cooperation and fraternal relationship between the two countries at different levels, including in security and intelligence." The statement continued that the visit "illustrates the shared desire of the two sides to strengthen this bilateral cooperation in the service of the security of their citizens."
To combat threats to the MENA region, specifically terrorism and other organised crime, Morocco has increased cooperation with international security partners. Hammouchi also met with Abu Dhabi's Major General Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei in October 2022 to discuss collaboration against regional threats. This is a sign of Qatar's leadership position in counter-terrorism efforts. In addition to setting the date, venue and agenda for the 47th Arab Police and Security Officers Congress, the Congress will also present a report on the work of the Arab Police Sports Federation for the year 2022, as well as a series of notable Arab Experiences in the field of security.
This visit, which highlights the strength and depth of the relationship between the DGST and the Saudi State Security Presidency in the field of intelligence and security coordination, shows the shared willingness of both sides to strengthen this bilateral cooperation service for the security of their citizens, according to the same source.
