Morocco Elected as Interpol Vice-President for Africa

Rabat – Morocco was elected with a large majority as Interpol’s Vice-President for Africa on Thursday during the organization’s executive committee elections, in recognition of its efforts to preserve security and stability regionally and internationally, and its leading role in strengthening South-South security cooperation.

Morocco’s candidate secured election with the support of delegates from 96 member states, achieving a significant lead over other contenders during the voting at Interpol’s 92nd General Assembly, held in Glasgow, Scotland (November 4-7), the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) announced in a press release.

Morocco had presented its candidacy for the position of Interpol’s Vice-President for Africa, driven by a firm desire to contribute to the development of police structures in Africa and armed with an unwavering conviction and a resolute determination to strengthen South-South security cooperation and to exchange its expertise with the security services in its continental environment.

Morocco’s candidacy for this position was presented in line with the High Royal Guidelines establishing South-South cooperation as a strategic choice and priority for the Kingdom and its African partners, according to a pragmatic vision based on the development of relations between Morocco and African countries at all levels, including security.

Building on this vision, Morocco presented a well-structured candidacy for the position, centered on a key pillar: investing in Africa’s police human resources, strengthening general security frameworks, and enhancing security cooperation across the continent, as a prelude to drying up the sources of illegal immigration and human trafficking and dismantling their ties with cross-border crime networks.

Following its election to the Interpol Executive Committee as the organization’s Vice-President for Africa, Morocco seeks to coordinate efforts with the national central bureaus of African countries to respond swiftly and effectively to terrorist threats linked to the regional ramifications of extremist organizations.

The aim is also to highlight and coordinate efforts regarding unconventional risks related to the malicious use of artificial intelligence and new technologies by organized criminal groups.

The General Directorate of National Security had nominated Prefect of Police Mohamed Dkhissi, Director of the Judicial Police and Head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol-Rabat, as its candidate for this position.

The Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), Abdellatif Hammouchi, who headed Morocco’s delegation to the 92nd session of the Interpol General Assembly, held multilateral and bilateral talks that focused on ways to strengthen international security cooperation and joint police action, in addition to supporting Morocco’s candidacy for Interpol’s Vice-Presidency for Africa.

Created in 1923, Interpol is an international criminal police organization, whose main objective is to support national capacities and the exchange of information and expertise between the security services of the 196-member countries to better prevent and combat the transnational ramifications of different forms of crime and security threats.