Surrounded by threats, Moroccan military sets border surveillance as 2023 priority

A total of 50,000 soldiers guard Morocco’s borders, of which 3,300 km is land 3,500 km of coast, in addition to airspace, according to the Deputy Minister in charge of the National Defence Administration, Abdellatif Loudiyi.

During the budget presentation he gave to The Parliament committee, the Minister said that border surveillance and the strengthening of operational capacities to deal with threats are among the main concerns of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR).

The mission of the Royal Army, as well as that of the Royal Gendarmerie, is to mobilize important material and human resources to control and monitor borders.

To do this, he said that land forces have fixed points and support points, intervention units, an electronic surveillance system composed of fixed and mobile radars, as well as electronic audiovisual means and mini drones.

The Royal Air Forces effectively contribute to these operations by deploying a series of fixed air surveillance radars to counter any air incursion.

Loudiyi also highlighted that the Royal Navy carries out permanent surveillance to combat illegal activities in territorial waters using maritime surveillance radars, and the mobilisation of intervention units along the Moroccan coast.

The same applies to the Royal Gendarmerie, which contributes to the surveillance and support of borders, at different levels, in land, air, and maritime spaces.

These major deployments required the mobilisation of 50,000 military personnel and significant economic resources to facilitate their mobility, as well as the repair and maintenance of the electronic border surveillance system.

The FAR is in turn investing in the fight against irregular migration, which requires constant effort and constant vigilance.

The forces have managed, in the first half of this year, to hold more than 56,000 attempted migration and save 12,000 from drowning.