“The United States and Morocco have a long history of strong counterterrorism cooperation. The Government of Morocco continued its comprehensive strategy that includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies”, underlined the State Department in its Country reports on terrorism 2023 released Thursday.
The report states that the efforts made within the framework of this comprehensive strategy, which “prioritizes economic and human development in addition to countering radicalization”, “continued in 2023 to mitigate the risk of terrorism”.
In 2023, the report recalls that Moroccan law enforcement, under the coordination of the Ministry of Interior, arrested at least 56 individuals, of whom 40 were lone actors, while the 16 others were associated with six different terrorist cells.
“Moroccan law enforcement leveraged intelligence collection, police work, and collaboration with international partners to conduct counterterrorism operations”, the State Department further pointed out, highlighting the role played by the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) which reports to the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) and operates under the supervision of the public prosecutor of the Court of Appeals.
Referring to U.S.-Moroccan cooperation, the report indicates that Moroccan law enforcement agencies participated in a wide range of U.S.-sponsored programs to improve the country’s technical and investigative capabilities, including financial investigation, intelligence analysis, forensics, aviation security, and cybersecurity.
“Border security remained a top priority for Moroccan authorities”, according to the report, which notes that Moroccan airport authorities “have excellent capabilities in detecting fraudulent documents”.
In terms of countering the financing of terrorism, the State Department recalled that Morocco is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (or MENAFATF), and its Financial Intelligence Unit, adding that the National Financial Intelligence Authority, is a member of the Egmont Group. In February 2023, Morocco was removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list, the source noted, adding that the FATF highlighted Morocco's key reforms, including improving risk-based supervision and taking remedial actions and applying effective, proportionate, and dissuasive sanctions for noncompliance.
Regarding Morocco’s commitment to regional and international cooperation against terrorism, the report stated that the Kingdom is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and co-chairs the Africa Focus Group. Morocco is also a member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the report recalls, noting that in 2023, the Kingdom and the European Union launched an initiative in the GCTF on education for the prevention and countering of violent extremism.
Also, the report states that Morocco has a comprehensive strategy for countering violent extremism that prioritizes economic and human development in addition to countering radicalization and oversight of the religious sphere.
In this respect, the State Department recalled that the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has developed an educational curriculum for Morocco’s nearly 50,000 imams as well as for female Islamic guides (mourchidates).
"Morocco’s imam training center in Rabat trains imams mostly from West Africa", according to the report, adding that “the Royal Mohammedan League of Ulema (Rabita Mohammedia) counters radicalization to violence by producing scholarly research, reviewing educational curricula, and conducting youth outreach on religious and social topics”, it added.
Furthermore, since 2017, an estimated 300 detainees have completed Morocco’s deradicalization program (Moussalaha, or Reconciliation), administered by the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, in cooperation with other ministries, the report concludes.