Compulsory military service in Morocco interrupted after a two-year hiatus, Dame Covid obliges, returned to service if one can say so this year. This time, as the health crisis subsides, it will be a question for the conscripts of this new promotion to succeed in a complete cycle, unlike its previous ones disrupted by Covid-19.
That said, the enthusiasm of our young people for military service is certain in view of the official figures of the central commission which indicated at the end of February a sharp increase in the number of conscripts this time: 178,166 for the year 2022, i.e. a 33% increase compared to 2019. For the year 2022, the census operation for military service was closed on Thursday February 11 and on February 28 the final decision, after examination of each file, was issued by the Central Census Commission on Military Service (CCRSM). She then set the criteria for establishing the names of young people, male and female, who will be part of the next promotion of conscripts, from the census database. The requests for exemption having meanwhile, had been examined between the 16th and the 22nd by the commissions installed in the various provinces and prefectures.
First introduced in 1966 by royal decree, compulsory military service was suspended in the 1980s due to the “economic crisis” and resumed under the Abderrahman El Youssoufi government until 2006, when Driss Jetou had it removed. Twelve years after this abolition, almost three years ago in August 2018, the Council of Ministers approved a bill restoring compulsory military service for men and women aged 19 to 25 and Parliament Moroccan saw no inconvenience there.
Since then, the first conscripts of the Kingdom have tasted the values taught in uniform, such as solidarity and discipline. Also, between common basic training, theoretical courses and military training, for twelve months, there were 15,000 conscripts, including 1,100 women (men aged 20 to 35 and young girls aged 20 to 27, single and without dependent children). ) to have opened the ball on a voluntary basis, in the military structures of Morocco.
When the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudiyi, recently announced Rabat’s intention to relaunch military service, he also revealed that the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) would create four new centers to train 20,000 young men and women in the military centers of Benslimane, Sidi Yahia Gharb, Benguerir and Tan Tan. “The Royal Armed Forces are ready to resume military service under the best conditions.he said.
For Abdellatif Loudiyi, this military training offered “opportunities for professional and social integration” to young Moroccans. Indeed, after four months of military training, trades will then be taught to them in various fields such as IT or security. Once their service is finished and thus equipped, they will have priority in working life and these young conscripts would be able to integrate more easily into the labor market. In Morocco, more and more young people are attracted to military service, which they consider to be a useful and motivating experience.
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