Guerguerat Crisis: Moroccans Take to Social Media to Applaud Army

Rabat – Moroccans across the country and overseas are applauding the mobilization of Morocco’s army in the face of Polisario’s maneuvers in Guerguerat, a town near the Moroccan-Mauritanian border.

Several hashtags are trending on social networks, mainly on Twitter, to express support for Morocco’s armed forces.

The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) announced its intervention this morning, saying that it dispatched personnel in the region to secure the flow of commercial and civilian traffic. 

Upon the arrival of Morocco’s armed forces, Polisario’s militiamen fled the region.

#القوات_المسلحة_الملكية

كل الدعم والمساندة للجيش المغربي والقوات المسلحة الملكية في في مواجهة ميليشيات البوليزاريو في فتح المعبر الحدودي #الكركارات #الصحراء_مغربية pic.twitter.com/uttN6VOvmr

— Ⓜ️مغربيⓂ️ (@maghriby002) November 13, 2020

Moroccans have shared today photos and videos of the Moroccan army to express pride over its quick intervention in Guerguerat to secure the stability of the region.

Among the hashtags popular with Moroccan netizens are #you_are_not_alone, to express solidarity with Morocco’s armed forces and determination to support Moroccan troops.

نداء لكل المواطنين والمواطنات بالوقوف صفا واحدا خلف الجيش و القائد الأعلى ورئيس أركان الحرب العامة ل #القوات_المسلحة_الملكية صاحب الجلالة الملك #محمد_السادس نصره الله في هذه الظرفية الحساسة التي تتجاوزها البلاد. pic.twitter.com/9Gb2gfPhOQ

— The Moroccan Kingdom (@MonarchieMa) November 13, 2020

Other hashtags include #Polisario_is_dying and the simplistic #FAR.

Most of the hashtags are in Arabic.

“The Royal Armed Forces successfully disinfected the buffer zone between Morocco and Chinguetti,” one Twitter user wrote.

The Royal Armed Forces successfully disinfected the buffer zone between Morocco and Chinguetti. ????????????????????????????????#البوليساريو_تحتضر #البوليساريو_تجنيد_الأطفال_جريمة

— Wassila Fz ?? (@dabest59) November 13, 2020

“All support for our armed forces,” wrote another.

كل الدعم لقواتنا المسلحة الملكية#الصحراء_المغربية #البوليساريو_تحتضر pic.twitter.com/jPSWVWxvGU

— hafid ezzahri حفيظ الزهري (@EzzahriHafid) November 13, 2020

“Sahara is Moroccan,” a Twitter user using the “you are not alone” hashtag said.

Morocco’s intervention came after Polisario’s repeated provocative maneuvers in the region, including their acts taunting the Moroccan army.

Polisario militants and supporters had blocked cross-border traffic in Guerguerat since October 21.

The Moroccan government denounced the maneuvers, saying that the Polisario Front has multiplied such “dangerous and intolerable acts” since 2016. 

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that such moves violate all military agreements and undermine the chances to relaunch the political process.