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Sûreté Nationale (Morocco)

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Direction Générale de la Sûreté Nationale
االمديرية العامة للأمن الوطني
ⵜⴰⵎⵀⵍⴰ ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵜⴰⵢⵜ ⵏ ⵜⵏⴼⵔⵓⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ
Common nameSûreté Nationale
MottoArabic: الأمن الوطني... فخورون بخدمتكم
French: Sûreté nationale... fiers de vous servir
National Security... proud to serve you
Agency overview
Formed16 May 1956[1]
Employees79830 (2023)
Annual budget13 billion dirham (2022)[2]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionMorocco
Governing bodyMoroccan Ministry of Internal Affairs
Operational structure
HeadquartersRabat
Police officers79,830 (2023)[3]
Agency executives
Sûreté Nationale officer

The General Directorate for National Security (Arabic: االمديرية العامة للأمن الوطني, Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⵜⴰⵎⵀⵍⴰ ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵜⴰⵢⵜ ⵏ ⵜⵏⴼⵔⵓⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ; French: Direction Générale de la Sûreté Nationale, DGSN) is the national police force of the Kingdom of Morocco. The DGSN is tasked with upholding the law and public order. It was founded on 16 May 1956[1] by King Mohammed V. It works alongside the Gendarmerie Royale and the Forces Auxiliaires.

In 2007, the Sûreté Nationale had approximately 46,000 personnel. A decade later, in 2017, the number of personnel had increased to 70,000.

As of 2004, the Sûreté Nationale operated the following specialist divisions:[4]

  • The Border Police: responsible for border control and surveillance
  • Mobile Intervention Corps: tasked with rapid intervention in major emergencies
  • National Brigade: primarily responsible for investigation of serious crimes, including terrorism, organized and white-collar crime.

History

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Pre-colonial

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Before the 20th century, a regionalized Shurta (police) enforced Sharia law and ensured security across the country.[5] During the Almohad caliphate, the caliph also took on the role of ṣāḥib al-shurṭa (head of police).[5][6]

There were regional and tribal Muhtasibs (equivalent to a police commissioner) who were appointed by the Pasha.[7] The Muhtasib had the power to issue fines for minor offenses.[8] Criminals were tried in front of a Qadi, the judge of a Sharia court. The Qadi issued judgements in criminal, civil and commercial cases.[7]

On July 20, 1901, Morocco formed its first national border patrol.[9][10] The patrol was in charge of ensuring the security of the border with French Algeria, under the control of a commissioner in Oujda.[11][12]

In 1906, the Algeciras Conference led to various police reforms in Morocco.[13] The reforms established a national police force that would fall under the Sultan's sovereign authority. The police force's recruitment would be overseen by the Makhzen and commanded by Caïds. Additionally, the police force would be stationed in the eight ports that were open to international trade.[14][15]

Protectorate

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In 1912, the General Police Service was created after the installement of the French Protectorate in Morocco.[16] In 1913, a forensic identification unit was formed.[16][17] A general forensic identification service was formed in November 1931.[17]

Post-independence

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On May 16, 1956, a year after Morocco gained independence, the DGSN was formed.[18] The Royal Institute of Police in Kenitra was inaugurated in 1978.[19] The Scientific and Technical Police Laboratory in Casablanca was created in 1991.[19]

On 8 September 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 Mw hit Marrakesh-Safi region of Morocco.[20][21] DGSN along with DGST has announced it will contribute MAD 50 million to Special Fund for Managing Earthquake Effects.[22][23][24] They set up two mobile bakeries near Marrakech, to provide bread to those who were affected by the earthquake.[25]

Directors

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  • Mohammed Laghzaoui (1956-1960)
  • Mohamed Oufkir (1960-Mid 1960s)
  • Ahmed Dlimi (Mid 1960s-1972)
  • Abderrahmane Rabiah (1972-1979)
  • Slimane Alaoui (1979-1979)
  • Abdelhak Kadirin (1979-1983)
  • Hamid El Boukhari (1983-1988)
  • Mohammed Dryef (1989-1990)
  • General Ouazzani (1990-1993)
  • Ahmed Midaoui (1993-1997)
  • Hafid Benhachem (1997-2003)
  • Hamidou Laanigri (2003-2006)
  • Charki Draiss (2006-2012)
  • Bouchaib Rmail (2012-2015)
  • Abdellatif Hammouchi (2015-Present)

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Police: 52 years of service to the nation and citizens". maroc.ma. 15 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Le budget 2022 de la police algérienne est près de deux fois supérieur à celui de la DGSN marocaine". Le 360. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  3. ^ "DGSN RH : un effectif total 78.146 fonctionnaires". Le Matin (in French). 22 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  4. ^ Derdzinski, Joseph (13 October 2004). "Commander of the Faithful: Morocco, the King and the internal security forces". Archive.org. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  5. ^ a b Fromherz, Allen J. (2010). The Almohads : the Rise of an Islamic Empire. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-282-88107-5. OCLC 729030442.
  6. ^ Rivet, Daniel (2012). Histoire du Maroc : de Moulay Idrîs à Mohammed VI (in French). [Paris]: A. Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-63847-8. OCLC 820655352.
  7. ^ a b Fillias, Achille (1860). L'Espagne et le Maroc en 1860 (in French). Paris: Poulet-Malassis et De Broise. p. 66.
  8. ^ Godard, Léon Nicolas (1860). Description et histoire du Maroc. Paris: C. Tanera.
  9. ^ "LA FRONTIÈRE ALGÉRO-MAROCAINE ET LE PROTOCOLE DU 20 JUILLET 1901". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1963-10-30. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  10. ^ Pinon, René (1903). "Figuig et la politique française au Maroc". Revue des Deux Mondes: 678–696.
  11. ^ "Au delà ce ne sont que limites traditionnelles et administratives". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1956-03-22. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  12. ^ Sayagh, Saïd; Miège, Jean-Louis (1986). La France et les frontières maroco-algériennes (1873-1902) (in French). C.N.R.S. Editions. doi:10.3917/cnrs.sayag.1986.01. ISBN 978-2-222-03889-4.
  13. ^ "Algeciras Conference". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  14. ^ "The Algeciras' Conference (Chap. 1)". Discovering Tangier. 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  15. ^ Acte général de la Conférence internationale d'Algeciras. 1906.
  16. ^ a b "ARRETE VIZIRIEL relatif a l'organisation d'un service anthropométrique au Maroc" (PDF). Bulletin officiel de l'Empire chérifien (52): 4. 1913-10-24.
  17. ^ a b Piazza, Pierre; Frappa, Amos (2017-01-10). "Histoire de la police scientifique (1832-1951)". Musée Criminocorpus (in French).
  18. ^ Lahrach, Yassir (13 May 2022). "La DGSN, vue de l'extérieur". Aujourd'hui le Maroc (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  19. ^ a b "Histoire de la DGSN : Les dates phares". Maghreb Arabe Presse. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  20. ^ "Morocco earthquake: More than 2,000 dead as tremors felt in several regions". BBC News. 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  21. ^ "Over 2,000 dead as powerful earthquake hits Morocco near Marrakesh". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  22. ^ "DGSN/DGST Will Contribute MAD 50 million to Special Fund for Managing Earthquake Effects". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  23. ^ Erraji, Abdellah (11 September 2023). "Earthquake Relief: Moroccan Police Donate $4.9 Million to Special Fund". Morocco World News. p. 1.
  24. ^ "DGSN/DGST Will Contribute 50 MDH to Special Fund for Managing Earthquake Effects | MapNews". www.mapnews.ma. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  25. ^ Erraji, Abdellah (14 September 2023). "DGSN Set Up Mobile Bakeries in Tahanaout, Near Marrakech". Morocco World News. p. 1. Retrieved 14 September 2023.

See also

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