The ILC-EMENA member AZUL, recently held a series of discussions from August 30th to October 2nd, 2024, in the Souss region of Morocco. The meetings aimed to address growing concerns over land expropriation and its impact on local Amazigh communities. These communities are facing challenges to their livelihoods and socio-economic stability due to expanding state-led initiatives.
AMAZIGH COMMUNITIES CLAIM TO CO-MANAGE THEIR TERRITORIES
One of the central issues is the establishment of new nature parks, which has led to sustained protests from local populations. For months, communities have voiced their opposition to these unilateral decisions, which they claim disregard their rights to ancestral lands. Weekly demonstrations continue, highlighting the deep disconnect between conservation policies and the needs of the people living on the ground.
While these initiatives are promoted as biodiversity protection measures, AZUL and local advocates argue that they serve other interests. The creation of protected areas has raised concerns that these efforts are a way for the state to access international green funding while exploiting the region's mineral resources—under the guise of environmental sustainability—at the expense of the indigenous Amazigh people.
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