Morocco: Current Issues

Alexis Arieff
Analyst in African Affairs

King Mohammed VI retains supreme political power in Morocco, but has taken some liberalizing steps with uncertain effects. A new wave of reform efforts were announced in March 2011 amid public demonstrations that echoed unrest elsewhere in the region. The king submitted a new constitution to a public referendum in July 2011; it passed with over 98% of the vote. The new text, drafted by a commission appointed by the king, aims to grant greater independence to the Prime Minister, the legislature, and the judiciary. Still, the king retains significant executive powers, such as the ability to fire ministers and dissolve the parliament; he remains commanderin- chief of the military and the country’s preeminent religious authority. Early legislative elections were held in November, in which the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) won a plurality and is therefore set to lead the government for the first time. Protest numbers have dwindled, but activists continue to call for deeper changes to the political system.

The United States government views Morocco as an important ally against terrorism and a free trade partner. Congress appropriates foreign assistance funding for Morocco for counterterrorism and socioeconomic development, including funding in support of a five-year, $697.5 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) aid program agreed to in 2007. Congress also reviews and authorizes Moroccan purchases of U.S. defense articles. U.S. officials have expressed support for Morocco’s political reform efforts while reiterating strong support for the monarchy.

Morocco’s comprehensive approach to countering terrorism involves security measures, economic reforms, control of religious outlets, education, and international cooperation. Morocco experienced devastating terrorist attacks in 2003, and Moroccan nationals have been implicated in attacks and plots overseas. In April 2011, after years without a major domestic attack, a bomb exploded at a tourist café in Marrakesh, killing 17 people, mostly Europeans. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), considered the greatest regional threat, has not mounted a successful attack in Morocco and denied responsibility for the April bombing. However, individual Moroccans have joined AQIM outside of the country and the group has reportedly attempted to use Moroccan territory as a transit point for regional smuggling operations.

Morocco’s human rights record is uneven. A number of abuses have been documented along with constraints on freedom of expression. At the same time, the 2004 Family Code is a significant initiative that could improve the socioeconomic rights of women if fully implemented. The king has also sought to provide a public record of abuses perpetrated before he ascended the throne in 1999 and to enhance the rights of ethnic Berbers (Amazigh/Imazighen), the original inhabitants of the region. In 2010, questions about religious freedom arose when foreign Christians were expelled for illegal proselytizing, sparking criticism by some Members of Congress.

Morocco’s foreign policy focuses largely on France, Spain, and the United States. Relations with Algeria are troubled by the unresolved dispute over the Western Sahara, a territory that Morocco largely occupies and views as an integral part of its national territory. Algeria supports the POLISARIO Front in its quest for the region’s self-determination. Relations between Morocco and Israel are strained, though 600,000 Moroccan Jews are citizens of Israel. Morocco severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2009, and was invited to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in May 2011. See also CRS Report RS20962, Western Sahara, by Alexis Arieff.


Date of Report: December 20, 2011
Number of Pages: 29
Order Number: RS21579
Price: $29.95

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