Morocco Celebrates the 65th Anniversary of the Royal Armed Forces

Rabat – Friday, May 14, 2021 marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR). The FAR was established May 14, 1956 under the late King Mohammed V.

The motto of the FAR is “God, Country, King” and its annual celebration commemorates the sacrifices and commitments that Morocco’s armed forces make to ensure safety and stability in the kingdom. 

The FAR was especially active throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as it worked to relieve overcrowded healthcare facilities by building field hospitals and enforcing health precautions implemented by the government. 

Additionally, Morocco’s royal armed forces participated in international aid efforts. 

After the Beirut port explosion in early August 2020, the FAR rapidly set up a Beirut field hospital composed of 150 soldiers, 45 of which were specialized medical professionals from various disciplines. 

Since its installation, the Beirut field hospital has provided 23,167 medical consultations, 431 surgeries, and 6,433 special examinations for those wounded in the blast. 

Other operations include Morocco’s most recent humanitarian aid mission to Lebanon. The kingdom delivered nearly 90 tonnes of food to manage Lebanon’s current state of crisis. 

Read also: Lebanon Receives the Last Batch of Moroccan Humanitarian Aid

Recently, the FAR has been involved with a broad range of military operations in Western Sahara to defend Morocco’s sovereignty over the region from Polisario militants. After Polisario militants blocked a roadway in the southern village of Guergerat (11 km from the Morocco-Mauritania border), the FAR peacefully intervened and cleared the blockade.

In addition to relieving the blockade, the FAR was reported to have eliminated a senior Polisario official with a drone strike in April 2021. This was the first use of a drone for militaristic purposes by Morocco’s royal armed forces since the US-brokered deal in late 2020. 

As tensions are still high and the future of the Western Sahara conflict is uncertain, the FAR maintains a presence in the region to preserve Morocco’s commitment to the UN Security Council’s peacekeeping mission.