Anti-ISIS coalition meeting in Marrakech strengthens Morocco’s role in counterterrorism
The Kingdom of Morocco reaffirms its leading role in the fight against terrorism and extremism, this time by hosting the meeting of the International Coalition to Combat the Extremist Group of ISIS.
For the first time in Africa, the Moroccan city of Marrakesh will host, on May 11, the meeting of the International Coalition against ISIS, to be co-chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his US counterpart Antony Blinken, with the participation of representatives of more than 80 countries and international organizations.
During this meeting, Morocco seeks to focus international attention on confronting the threat of recentralization of the organization in the Sahel-Saharan region and throughout the African continent.
Important position
Hassan Bellouan, an expert in international relations and a Moroccan political analyst, said the meeting of the International Coalition to Combat ISIS in Marrakesh comes in view of Morocco’s place in the fight against extremism and terrorism in all its forms.
Bellouan added that “this position is embodied by the Moroccan institutions that are making great efforts to fight terrorism through several approaches”.
The most important of these approaches, according to the same speaker, are legal through the Criminal Code, in addition to religious framing and attention to social issues.
The comprehensive approach of Morocco has received numerous international acclaim, especially from the United States, Britain and the European Union, Bellouan said.
“The Kingdom of Morocco is an important and strategic partner in the eradication of extremist ideology, both in the Middle East and in the Sahel-Sahara region”, the political analyst said.
The Moroccan security services are playing a proactive role in combating this phenomenon, he said, adding that they are coordinating with international intelligence to dismantle extremist sleeper cells.
Pivotal role
Morocco’s choice to host this important meeting to combat ISIS comes from the pivotal role played by the Kingdom in this field, the same spokesman stressed.
This is evident in Morocco’s chairmanship of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, which reflects Morocco’s global standing in the fight against extremism and terrorism, Bellouan said.
The holding of the meeting in Marrakech comes as Morocco is a key partner in the fight against terrorism and has made great strides in its approach to tackling this phenomenon, he added.
The political analyst pointed out that Morocco enjoys political and security stability in a region that is living in an atmosphere of instability.
Bellouan added that the Russian-Ukrainian war played a role in holding the meeting in Morocco, and what it could have implications on the security approach to combating terrorism on the African continent.
He said the fight against terrorism requires international co-ordination under UN supervision and the adoption of comprehensive approaches that cut across previous approaches.
Morocco aims to dismantle terrorist cells ideologically before they are dealt with in terms of security, Bellouan said, adding that this is the approach on which Morocco has based its strategy, which all countries have praised.
The Marrakech conference comes to combat ISIS and to co-ordinate the efforts of the international community to eradicate this phenomenon, which has spread in several areas, including the Sahel, the Sahara and other parts of the Muslim world, Bellouan said.
