King Mohammed VI: Morocco Will Not Be Affected by Provocations in Guerguerat

King Mohammed VI delivers a speech, to his side Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Prince Moulay Rachid (MAP)
King Mohammed VI delivers a speech, to his side Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Prince Moulay Rachid (MAP)
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King Mohammed VI: Morocco Will Not Be Affected by Provocations in Guerguerat

King Mohammed VI delivers a speech, to his side Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Prince Moulay Rachid (MAP)
King Mohammed VI delivers a speech, to his side Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Prince Moulay Rachid (MAP)

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has announced that his country will not be affected by the deep provocations and desperate maneuvers carried out by various parties.

His comments were in reference to Algerian-backed Polisario Front’s recent provocations in Guerguerat, a town near the Moroccan-Mauritanian border, and the group’s maneuvers seeking to undermine the stability and security of Morocco’s southern provinces.

On the 45th anniversary of the Kingdom’s historic Green march on Saturday, King Mohammed highlighted the country’s firm position.

While Morocco continues to uphold logic and wisdom, it will also respond, with “the utmost firmness and resolve” to any practices or attempts to undermine the security and stability of its southern provinces, he stressed.

“I am confident the United Nations and MINURSO will continue to carry out their duties in terms of preserving the ceasefire in the region,” the King added.

The UN Security Council issued a decision on Oct.30, in which it welcomed Morocco’s “serious and credible” efforts to reach a mutually agreed-upon solution.

Almost all Security Council resolutions on Western Sahara adopted since 2007 have welcomed the Moroccan autonomy plan.

It also reaffirmed the need to fully respect military agreements previously reached with MINURSO regarding a ceasefire and called upon the parties to adhere to those agreements, implement their commitments to the former Personal Envoy, and refrain from any actions that could undermine negotiations or further destabilize the situation in Western Sahara.

In this context, the King pointed to his country’s gains at the diplomatic and continental levels, noting that the latest Security Council resolutions have lain to rest outdated, unrealistic approaches and proposals.

The UN resolutions called on the actual participation of the real parties concerned in this regional conflict and have irreversibly endorsed the political solution based on realism and consensus as the path forward.

“This policy is in line with the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, which is backed by the Security Council and the influential powers, as the sole normal course of action for the settlement of this dispute”.



Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon’s War Losses Double Compared to 2006

Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)
Rescuers and aid workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon (AFP)

A comparison of the current human and material losses from the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict with those from the July 2006 war shows that current losses have doubled.

Experts warn that the reconstruction funds and aid pledged to Lebanon 18 years ago may have limited impact once the war ends.

Total Losses

Mohammad Shamseddine, a researcher from Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the death toll has risen from 900 in 2006 to 2,865 in the current conflict (as of October 31, 2024), with the number increasing daily. The number of wounded was 4,000 in 2006, but it has now exceeded 13,047.

In 2006, 600,000 people were displaced, while today that number has surpassed 1.2 million. Of these, 189,174 are in shelters. A total of 358,133 Syrians and 172,604 Lebanese have fled to Syria, and 120,000 have sought refuge in other countries.

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam estimated that Lebanon’s total economic losses from the current conflict have reached $20 billion. However, economic associations report direct losses between $10 billion and $12 billion, covering damage to key sectors, homes, buildings, and infrastructure.

These figures align with estimates from Shamseddine, who believes direct and indirect losses are around $10 billion.

Of this, $4 billion occurred from October 8, 2023, to September 17, 2024 (when the conflict was mostly limited to the south), and $7 billion from September 17 to October 31, 2024, after Israel expanded the war. For comparison, losses during the 2006 war totaled $5.3 billion.

In 2006, infrastructure damage was valued at $900 million, higher than the current war's $570 million in infrastructure losses.

Housing losses in 2006 totaled $2.2 billion, while they have now surpassed $4.26 billion. Mohammad Shamseddine points out that commercial losses were similar in both conflicts, at $4.7 million.

Agricultural and environmental losses in 2006 were $450 million, but now exceed $900 million. Indirect economic damages were $1.2 billion in 2006, while they have now surpassed $3.38 billion.

One notable difference is the number of airstrikes: from October 8, 2023, to October 31, 2024, there were 11,647, compared to just 3,670 during the 33-day 2006 war.