The Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has dismissed Abdelrahmane Bouazza, regional director of the department in Oujda, over the granting of controversial mining permits in Jerada province, according to Hespress AR sources familiar with the matter.
Energy Minister Leila Benali issued the dismissal order on Aug. 25, following revelations that Bouazza had signed six exceptional licenses in the Touissit-Sidi Boubker area without coordinating with local authorities. One of the permits was granted to an association established outside Jerada province.
Documents show that Bouazza received a formal inquiry on July 1 from Jerada governor Chokib Belqaid regarding the permits. The governor sought clarification on why the licenses had been approved outside the established coordination process.
Bouazza responded to the inquiry only after his dismissal, attempting to justify the decision. He argued that 14 areas had been designated for exploitation by 14 cooperatives in Touissit-Sidi Boubker. Six permits were initially granted in 2022, he said, with the remaining eight intended to follow in a second phase.
According to the same sources, Bouazza claimed the provincial secretary-general had instructed him to approve all licenses, including those for coal mining. On one day, he signed 10 permits — four renewals and six new ones — based on files that were deemed ready.
However, internal disputes soon emerged. The regional director later said the provincial administration had requested the cancellation of the six new licenses while keeping only the four older ones. He added that five of the cooperatives in question had already received preliminary approval in 2019, which justified the local committee’s July 2025 recommendation to allow them to resubmit applications.
On the same day as Bouazza’s dismissal, Minister Benali appointed Mustapha Raoufi, head of the geology division, as acting regional director until a permanent replacement is named.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.