As security challenges multiply, Morocco has been redoubling efforts to improve its police forces’ response capabilities. The kingdom aspires to be a regional leader in security.
Rabat – Morocco’s Council of Government adopted a new decree on “renewing the status of officers of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN)” on Thursday, May 23.
The project, which was presented to the government council by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Noureddine Boutayeb, is set to further the modernization and expansion process Moroccan police have actioned over the last decade.
The move primarily aims to improve the financial conditions of security employees , government spokesperson Mustapha El khalfi said in a press conference after the council. According to El Khalfi, the project was prepared by DGSN leadership under “high royal instructions.”
But, he noted, renewal of status implies that, in addition to improving the financial resources and working conditions of DGSN agents, there will be bold steps to renew and expand both the service’s personnel and response capabilities.
Part of the new status pertains to facilitating both promotion and recruitment of DGSN agents, El Khalfi added.
In terms of promotion, the bill envisages decreasing the level of seniority required to have access to promotion to the higher ranks. For the rank of police chief for example, qualified officers will take a national exam whose results will determine their fit for promotion.
In response to surging security challenges, both at the national and international levels, the new project will ensure that DGSN officers are more responsive and better equipped in carrying out their duty.
The news is the latest in a series of similar moves to modernize Morocco’s security forces. Despite its established reputation for domestic stability and successful anti-terrorism, Morocco under King Mohammed VI has multiplied efforts to stand out in the security field.
Most recently, in April of this year, King Mohammed VI launched the construction of a new headquarters for DGSN.
During his speech, the King emphasized the necessity of improving the police’s human and financial resources to assist them in providing quality security for the country.
“They work day and night and are subject to tremendous pressure, as they are exposed to danger when they are on duty,” the King said, urging the government to “provide security authorities with the necessary human and material resources to enable them to carry out their duty properly.”
Also behind multiplication of modernization and expansion projects is Morocco’s ambition to be a regional leader in the field of security, with the kingdom aspiring to export its model to other countries in Africa and the MENA region.
