On occasion of twenty year anniversary of his rule, King Mohammed VI 29 July urged cabinet reshuffle, said he would pardon 4,764 prisoners, including eight activists of Hirak protest movement that formed in Rif region in north in late 2016. Security forces 27 July arrested five suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Tangiers. Court in Salé near capital Rabat 18 July sentenced to death three main suspects in killing of two Scandinavian tourists near Imlil village in Atlas Mountains in Dec 2018.

On occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking end of holy month of Ramadan 5 June, King Mohammed VI pardoned 107 activists of Hirak protest movement that formed in Rif region in north in late 2016 to demand jobs and denounce state corruption and repression. Court of appeal of Salé near capital Rabat 21 June closed hearing of 24 defendants suspected of involvement in killing of two Scandinavian tourists near Imlil village in Atlas Mountains in Dec 2018, prosecutor 27 June sought death sentence for three main suspects.

Casablanca appeals court 5 April upheld sentence of 42 activists of Hirak protest movement that formed in Rif region in north in late 2016 to demand jobs and denounce state corruption and repression; court confirmed 20-year prison sentences for Hirak leader Nasser Zefzafi and three other activists for threatening state security; also confirmed other sentences ranging from one to fifteen years. Thousands demonstrated 21 April in capital Rabat to demand release of Hirak activists. Police 25 April used water cannon to disperse some one thousand teachers protesting in capital. Authorities 23 April arrested seven suspected Islamic State members in Salé, near Rabat.

Police 23 March fired water cannon to disperse some 15,000 teachers protesting low-wage temporary contracts outside parliament in capital Rabat in continuation of month-long protest movement; thousands demonstrated again next day. Govt took part in second round of talks with Western Sahara’s Polisario Front independence movement 21-22 March under UN auspices in Geneva, in presence of Algeria and Mauritania. UN envoy for Western Sahara Horst Köhler said parties had agreed to continue discussions, but there was “still a lot of work ahead”.

Protests and strikes continued. 42 members of Hirak protest movement that formed in Rif region in north in late 2016 to demand jobs and denounce state corruption and repression 15 Feb boycotted hearing before Casablanca court of appeal for first time since appeal trial started 17 Dec, citing lack of conditions for impartial trial. Thousands demonstrated in Brussels 16 Feb to call for release of Hirak movement activists. Thousands of public school teachers 20 Feb went on strike and demonstrated in capital Rabat against poor working conditions; police intervened to disperse protesters.

Security forces 23 Jan arrested thirteen suspected Islamist militants reportedly linked to Islamic State (ISIS) in several cities including economic capital Casablanca. Civil society organisation Racines 15 Jan said it would appeal Casablanca court’s dissolution order issued 26 Dec after Racines in Aug 2018 hosted recording of talk show critical of king. Civil servants and municipal workers went on strike 17 Jan to demand better working conditions. European Parliament 16 Jan voted to extend preferential tariffs to Western Sahara as part of EU-Morocco trade agreement, despite 2016 ruling by EU Court of Justice that no trade agreement could cover Western Sahara unless inhabitants of territory consented to it. UN Envoy for Western Sahara Horst Köhler late Jan said he planned new round of talks between Morocco and Polisario Front independence movement in March (see Western Sahara).

Two women, one Danish and one Norwegian, were found dead 17 Dec near Imlil village in Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech, one had been beheaded. Security forces arrested one suspect 18 Dec and three others 20 Dec. Govt 20 Dec said it suspected terrorist motive. Danish intelligence services 20 Dec said they had authenticated video circulating on social media that appeared to show murder of one of the women.

As numbers of people trying to reach Europe illegally through Morocco rise, security forces’ efforts to stop them led to casualties. After security forces 25 Sept opened fire on boat carrying 25 Moroccan illegal migrants, killing one Moroccan woman, court in Tétouan in north 17 Oct sentenced to two years in prison man who protested on social media. Security forces night of 9-10 Oct opened fire on another boat carrying about 50 Moroccan migrants, injuring sixteen-year-old boy. Army 21 Oct clashed with illegal migrants in Melilla, Spanish enclave in Morocco, as about 300 tried to cross border fence from Morocco into Melilla, one migrant killed.

Cabinet 20 Aug approved law reinstating compulsory twelve-month military service for men and women aged 19-25, scrapped in 2006. King Mohammed VI late Aug pardoned 889 detainees, including 188 people detained for taking part in demonstrations in Rif region in north to demand development and denounce corruption.

Govt and EU officials 24 July in capital Rabat signed new fisheries agreement: EU to give Morocco €52mn per year for allowing boats from EU to fish in Morocco’s waters, including waters off Western Sahara. Spanish police in Ceuta, Spain’s enclave in Morocco, 26 July clashed with migrants from sub-Saharan Africa as some 800 stormed border fence between Morocco and Ceuta, about 150 people injured including 132 migrants and at least sixteen police officers.