Morocco Elected to Vice Presidency of Interpol for Africa

In a resounding vote today, Morocco’s candidate for the position of Vice-President of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for Africa was elected by a large majority.

The vote recognizes Morocco’s efforts to maintain security and stability at the regional and international levels, as well as its leading role in promoting South-South security cooperation.

A statement from Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) said the Moroccan representative was elected by an overwhelming majority of 96 member states during the voting process held as part of the 92nd General Assembly of Interpol in Glasgow, Scotland.

DGSN-DGST chief Abdellatif Hammouchi nominated Mohamed Dkhissi, the director of Judicial Police and Head of Interpol Rabat’s central bureau for the position.

The success of Morocco’s candidacy reflects the country’s contribution to the development of African law enforcement institutions, as well as its strong determination to enhance South-South security cooperation, the statement noted.

Morocco’s expertise with security agencies across the continent also played a crucial role in Morocco’s selection, DGSN said, adding that the bid for the positions was based on royal directives that made South-South cooperation a strategic priority for Morocco and its African partners.

This reflects a vision focused on enhancing relations with Morocco and African countries at all levels, including the security sector.

As part of its bid, Morocco presented a candidacy file including the key idea that investing in human resources for policing in Africa is an essential measure to combat irregular migration and human trafficking while  uncovering and tackling their links to transnational organized crime networks.

The file also includes emphasis on the importance of investment in developing public security infrastructure, and strengthening security cooperation in Africa.

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According to the DGSN statement, Morocco’s election seeks to coordinate efforts with the National Central Bureaus in Africa and across the world to provide effective response to terror threats linked to regional hubs of extremist organizations.

It added that the North African country notably aims to contribute significantly to efforts  regarding non-traditional risks like the misuse of artificial intelligence.

Hammouchi led a large security delegation to the event in Glasgow, participating in multilateral discussions and bilateral meetings.

This comes as Interpol has continued to stress the importance of cooperation with Morocco, hailing the country’s efforts in tackling global challenges related to transnational crime networks.

In September, Head of Interpol’s project Stadia, Falah al-Dosari, commended Morocco’s capabilities in organizing international events, including sports symposiums.

“Morocco’s commitment to international cooperation, especially in the fields of security and major events, is a model to follow worldwide,” he said, pointing out that the North African country was chosen to host the workshop due to the nation’s keenness and potential to host more international events in the future.

Morocco has also called for a policy of shared responsibility to deal with deepening insecurity in the Sahel. 

The region is increasingly becoming a hub of organized crime networks, including terrorist groups, human traffickers, and as well as  involved arm and drug trafficking.

In recent years, Morocco has repeatedly warned of connections between terrorist cells and other organized networks operating in the unstable Sahel corridor.