Road Scheme Sparks Outrage in Moroccan Commune

Residents of Mouarid, Morocco, are furious over a municipal decision they deem deeply unfair. A public road project, intended to benefit schoolchildren and others, has been diverted to benefit a local official. This move has ignited a wave of protest and calls for immediate state intervention.

The Controversial Decision

The controversy centers on a public route originally planned to connect Douar Aït Bamhamed to the local primary school. According to local inhabitants, the councilor, [Unspecified Name], rerouted the path, allegedly to go through his personal property.

The alteration to the road’s layout has forced people, including children, to undertake a much longer, difficult, and dangerous journey. This adds over four kilometers to their daily travel. The residents are convinced this is a pure abuse of power and the general public’s interest has been ignored for personal gain.

“The initial layout met the urgent needs of the population, in particular schoolchildren, the elderly and families living in landlocked areas.”

—Unspecified Name, Local Resident

This situation sadly mirrors a wider issue. A 2023 report by the World Bank revealed corruption in public projects costs countries billions of dollars annually (World Bank).

Public Outcry and Calls for Action

The inhabitants of Mouarid have expressed their outrage in a letter addressed to the Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit. They demand an immediate government intervention to end what they perceive as an affront to their dignity and a misuse of authority. They stress that the road was meant to serve the community’s needs.

This situation exemplifies how some local officials treat public resources. They view it as an opportunity for personal gain. The community believes the authorities must take firm action to demonstrate that elected officials do not have free rein to compromise the public good.