Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Abdellatif Hammouchi, the General Director of Morocco’s National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), held talks on Thursday in Rabat with Celine Barthon, Director General of France’s Internal Security.
Barthon is visiting Morocco along with a high-level security delegation, seeking to strengthen security partnership and collaboration with Rabat amid challenges imposed by an unstable climate, particularly in the Sahel region.
A statement from DGSN-DGST said that bilateral discussions focused on the importance of boosting joint operations, taking into account their effectiveness in neutralizing a number of terror threats at the regional and international levels.
Both countries are aware of the challenges imposed by the situation in the Sahel, which observers view as a fertile ground for terrorist groups.
Moroccan officials have long warned that 60% of the world’s terrorist victims have been in sub-Saharan Africa and West Africa. West Africa alone experienced over 1,800 terrorist attacks in the first six months of 2023.
During the meeting, Barthon commended Morocco’s security services offered to France during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
She also discussed with Hammouchi ways to coordinate and strengthen joint efforts to help ensure the success of the Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host in December.
France expressed interest in contributing to security for the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host along with Spain and Portugal.
The show of support is part of France and Morocco’s commitment to strengthening cooperation to confront hostile activities threatening the security of both countries, including espionage. French officials, on different occasions, have frequently emphasized Morocco’s role as a strong ally in managing security challenges.
DGSN-DGST statement commended bilateral ties between the two countries in terms of security, describing them as an effective and consistent model of comprehensive collaboration between Paris and Rabat.
The cooperation encompasses several areas, including counterterrorism, combating extremism, and irregular migration.
