Rabat – King Mohammed VI received Monday in Tangier’s royal palace Aicha El Khattabi, daughter of Moroccan iconic activist and politician Abdelkrim El Khattabi.
Aicha attended the Throne Day ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI at the Marchane palace in Tangier.
In a statement to the press, Aicha said that the people of Al Hoceima province are aware of the King’s efforts to improve their living conditions.
Aicha also expressed her hope that government will “solve the situation” of both the imprisoned Hirak Rif activists.
In June, a court in Casablanca gave sentences ranging from 1 to 20 years for 54 Moroccan activists for their involvement in the Al Hoceima protests in 2016 and 2017.
She also recalled that after King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne in 1999, he contacted her and her family “by telephone to inform us that he will make his first visit to Al Hoceima and the Rif region.”
After the call, El Khattabi and her brother Said came back to Morocco from Egypt to greet the King.
Concluding her statement, El Khattabi said that Morocco will always be a united nation.
Throne Day came after a week after the celebration of the 97th anniversary of Annual Battle led by Abd El Krim El Khattabi on July 22, 1921.
The ceremony started at 2:15 p.m. marking the attendance of many local and international officials, including FIFA chairman Gianni Infantino.
José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, former head of the Spanish Government; Miguel Angel Moratinos, former Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; Akinwumi Adesina , President of the African Development Bank; Jacques Diouf, Diplomat, Former General Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Adnan Amin, General Director of the Agency International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA) also attended the ceremony.
The ceremony followed King Mohammed VI’s speech delivered from the city of Al Hoceima on Tuesday, July 29.
To celebrate the Throne Day, the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) will organize air shows above Martil sea resort northeast of Tetouan and above M’diq, located between Ceuta and Tetouan on July 30 and July 31.
