Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Sadiki chaired the launch of the SAREX Detroit 2024 maritime search and rescue exercise launch in Tangier on Wednesday.
The large-scale exercise of the Tangier Med port will run until May 31, coinciding with the transit operation for Moroccans residing abroad.
It mobilizes significant human and material resources to stimulate a major maritime crisis and test the responsiveness of Moroccan intervention teams, Sadiki said in a press statement.
Several high-ranking officers attended yesterday’s opening ceremony, including representatives of the Royal Armed Forces, the Spanish Guardia Civil, as well as numerous maritime safety and rescue specialists.
According to the event’s official press statement, Morocco’s involvement in this exercise emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in ensuring maritime safety.
The scenario of SAREX Detroit 2024 involves a fire breaking aboard a passenger ship, requiring the emergency evacuation of 60 people, including injured ones.
To address this critical situation, the Royal Navy, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Royal Air Forces, Civil Protection, the General Directorate of National Security, and the Department of Maritime Affairs are working in coalition to successfully carry out this delicate operation.
The SAREX Detroit 2024 exercise is a response to the constant concern to improve the skills of coordinators and rescuers in handling a major maritime event, Sadiki noted, adding that the exercise provides valuable training opportunities for maritime crews and aerial rescue units.
“It also allows testing the level of efficiency of our technical and material capacities to adequately respond to distress maritime situations,” the minister said.
SAREX Detroit 2024 is critical because it tests the procedures for managing complex operations of mass search and rescue, as recommended by the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, the press release recalled.
Read Also: Morocco, Turkey Set Sail for Maritime Cooperation
During the 32nd Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London in 2021, Morocco was re-elected to the Council’s committee for the 2022-2023 period.
As a maritime nation par excellence due to its geostrategic position, its long naval tradition, and its 3,500 kilometers of coastline on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, Morocco makes a substantial contribution to the fulfillment of the IMO mandate, of which it has been a member since 1962, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Spain, Morocco’s neighboring country and its key partner in maritime security, is actively participating in SAREX Detroit 2024 by deploying substantial aerial and maritime resources.
This collaboration reflects the mutual commitment of the two countries to ensure and enhance the safety of individuals at sea, per international agreements.
Morocco and Spain maintain extensive diplomatic, commercial, and military ties. In March 2024, Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares reiterated the importance of bilateral relations with Morocco, describing the North African country as a key partner on multiple fronts.
Albares also recalled that Spanish exports to Morocco have increased by 29% in the 2020-2021 period and that over 17,000 Spanish companies have trade relations with Morocco.
The launch of the SAREX Detroit 2024 underscores Morocco’s commitment to enhance its maritime safety through national and international cooperation.
